Trump administration’s workforce cuts leave NASA planning major reduction

NASA is preparing to divest or demolish nearly half of its facilities at the Goddard Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, following a significant loss of staff triggered by US President Donald Trump’s efforts to shrink the federal workforce. 

Goddard, one of NASA’s premier science centres, operates the Hubble Space Telescope and manages missions exploring the solar system, studying Mars’ atmosphere, and monitoring space weather. The centre, previously home to more than 10,000 employees, now has about 6,600, according to acting center director Cynthia Simmons, who described the campus as underutilised, Caliber.Az reports via Bloomberg.

In an email to employees, Simmons said the agency plans to vacate buildings on Goddard’s west side, which “will either be made available to lease to other government agencies or partners or demolished if they have outlived their useful life.” She added, “while there are certain capabilities we must keep, there are others that we can and should shed because they are readily available in the commercial sector.”

The centre was hardest hit by deferred resignation programs under the Trump administration, which prompted around 30% of staff to leave. The administration also proposed cutting NASA’s science budget by over half and terminating many of Goddard’s missions.

Employees have reportedly been asked for months to vacate buildings, which were later locked even during government shutdowns. The moves have drawn concern from lawmakers, including Representative Zoe Lofgren, who on November 10 sent a letter to NASA’s acting chief demanding a halt to the closure and relocation of what she called “mission-critical facilities.”

NASA stressed that the plans are part of a longstanding 2019 strategy to divest, destroy, and construct new facilities.

Spokesperson Bethany Stevens said, “New buildings are still set to be constructed following the consolidation and recalibration. That’s something we will have the ability to shed more light on in the future as plans develop.”

By Sabina Mammadli