Nearly 4,000 Employees Leave Agency as Part of Deferred Resignation Process
Close to 4,000 employees of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have chosen to exit the agency through a deferred resignation initiative introduced by the current federal administration. This change represents a 20% reduction in the agency’s workforce, lowering the number of employees from 18,000 to approximately 14,000, according to NASA spokesperson Cheryl Warner.
The program was conducted in two rounds. During the second phase, which concluded Friday at midnight, around 3,000 employees submitted their applications to leave. These follow the 870 who participated in the initial round. An additional 500 employees departed through standard attrition such as retirements.
Budget Revisions and Institutional Restructuring
The reduction aligns with broader efforts to streamline the federal workforce and implement recommendations from government efficiency reviews. In addition to personnel changes, budget adjustments have also been proposed. The fiscal year 2026 budget plan includes a projected 24% decrease in NASA funding—from nearly $25 billion to roughly $19 billion.
However, ongoing discussions in Congress may result in preserving the current budget levels. Furthermore, the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act allocates nearly $10 billion in supplementary funding for NASA through 2032. These funds support long-term space initiatives, including Mars exploration and renewed missions to the Moon.
Employee Concerns and Institutional Response
Over 300 current and former NASA employees sent a letter, titled the “Voyager Declaration,” to interim administrator Sean Duffy. The letter expresses concern over what signatories describe as “rapid and wasteful changes” within the agency. It also urges leadership to reconsider proposed cuts, arguing that such measures are not aligned with NASA’s best interests.
