NASA says it’s going to lose about 20% of its workforce amid federal staff lay off

The U.S. house company NASA will lose about 3,900 staff beneath Donald Trump’s sweeping effort to trim the federal workforce — concurrently the President prioritizes plans for crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.

In an emailed assertion, NASA stated round 3,000 staff took half within the second spherical of its deferred resignation program, which closed late Friday (July 26, 2025).

Mixed with the 870 who joined the primary spherical and common workers departures, the company’s civil servant workforce is ready to drop from greater than 18,000 earlier than Mr. Trump took workplace in January to roughly 14,000 — a greater than 20% lower.

These leaving the Nationwide Aeronautics and Area Administration on the deferred resignation program will likely be positioned on administrative go away till an agreed departure date. An company spokesperson stated the figures may shift barely within the coming weeks.

“Security stays a prime precedence for our company as we stability the necessity to grow to be a extra streamlined and extra environment friendly group and work to make sure we stay absolutely able to pursuing a Golden Period of exploration and innovation, together with to the Moon and Mars,” the company stated.

Earlier this yr, the Trump administration’s proposed NASA price range put a return to the Moon and a journey to Mars entrance and middle, slashing science and local weather packages.

The White Home says it desires to deal with “beating China again to the Moon and placing the primary human on Mars.” China is aiming for its first crewed lunar touchdown by 2030, whereas the U.S. program, known as Artemis, has confronted repeated delays.

NASA remains to be run by an performing administrator after the administration’s preliminary decide to steer the company, tech billionaire Jared Isaacman — endorsed by former Trump advisor Elon Musk — was finally rejected by the Republican president.