Over 2,100 senior-ranking employees are set to leave NASA as part of an internal workforce-reduction plan to align with tighter federal budgets.
The departures primarily affect experienced professionals in senior roles and are facilitated through voluntary early-retirement packages, buyouts, and deferred resignations.
NASA's workforce of around 18,000 is facing budget constraints, leadership instability, and uncertainty amid political tensions, potentially impacting ongoing and future missions.
The restructuring may slow progress on key projects, affecting morale across the agency, with implications for NASA's space activities and programs in the US.