NASA says it will lose about 20 percent of its workforce

The NASA of the United States Space Agency will lose around 3,900 employees in the context of Donald Trump’s radical effort to reduce the federal workforce-at the same time as the president prioritizes the plans of equivalent missions on the Moon and Mars.

In a statement sent by email, NASA said that around 3,000 employees had participated in the second round of its delayed resignation program, which closed on Friday evening.

Combined with the 870s who joined the departures of the first round and regular staff, the workforce of the agency officials should go from more than 18,000 before Trump took up his duties in January to around 14,000, a decrease of more than 20%.

Those who leave the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on the delayed resignation program will be placed on administrative leave to a departure date. An agency spokesman said the figures could change slightly in the coming weeks.

“Safety remains an absolute priority for our agency when we balance the need to become a more rationalized and more efficient organization and to work to ensure that we remain fully able to continue an era of exploration and innovation, including the Moon and Mars,” said the agency.

Earlier this year, the budget proposed by the Trump administration of the Trump administration made a return to the moon and a trip to Mars Front and Center, reducing scientific and climatic programs.

The White House says she wants to focus on “Beating China on the Moon and put the first human on Mars”. China targets its first lunar landing at the crew by 2030, while the American program, called Artemis, faced repeated delays.

NASA is still directed by an acting administrator after the initial choice of the administration to lead the agency, the technological billionaire Jared Isaacman – approved by former adviser Trump Elon Musk – was finally rejected by the Republican President.

© 2025 AFP