Bloomberg: NASA to shed nearly 4,000 jobs in efficiency drive

NASA is preparing to lose approximately 3,870 employees through a voluntary resignation initiative, part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to reduce the size of the federal workforce.

The US space agency confirmed the figure in a statement, quoted by Bloomberg, though it noted that the final number could change depending on whether some applications are withdrawn or not approved.

“Safety remains our highest priority as we work to streamline the agency, enhance efficiency, and maintain full capability to lead a new Golden Era of exploration, including missions to the Moon and Mars,” the statement read.

NASA introduced two rounds of voluntary departures in 2025 under the federal government’s Deferred Resignation Program. When both phases are completed, and with natural attrition estimated at around 500 employees during the same period, the agency expects to retain a core workforce of about 14,000 civil servants.

The first resignation round took place early in Trump’s second term, when federal employees received offers for voluntary buyouts under a program developed by the Department of Government Efficiency, headed by Elon Musk. Around 870 NASA employees — roughly 4.8% of the agency’s workforce — accepted the offer at that time.

The second phase, launched by NASA independently in early June, had a deadline of July 25. According to the agency, about 3,000 staff members — representing 16.4% of the workforce — opted to leave under this program.

NASA officials said the deferred resignation strategy was adopted to avoid the need for forced layoffs, aligning with the administration’s workforce reduction goals while seeking to protect employee morale. “Our intention is to minimise any need for involuntary workforce reductions in the future,” former acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro said during a June 25 town hall, according to a Bloomberg-obtained audio recording. “That is our whole goal, minimising that.”

Earlier this year, in February, NASA had requested a broad waiver to shield all employees in their probationary periods from being laid off.

However, the scale of the planned departures has sparked concern both within the agency and across the broader aerospace sector. Critics argue that NASA risks losing key talent and expertise essential to its core missions.

In a letter titled The Voyager Declaration, hundreds of current and former employees addressed newly appointed interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy—who also heads the Department of Transportation—warning that the downsizing could compromise operational safety and efficiency.

“Thousands of NASA civil servant employees have already been terminated, resigned, or accepted early retirement,” they wrote, “taking with them unique, highly specialised knowledge that is vital to the successful execution of NASA’s mission.”

By Tamilla Hasanova