After being spared the firing of more than 1,000 probationary employees in February, NASA is back in the crosshairs of a government-wide effort to shrink the federal workforce.
First reported by Government Executive and NASAWatch, agency personnel on Monday received an email describing a deferred resignation program (DRP) and other opportunities for early voluntary retirement. NASA top brass sent out an initial DRP after President Donald Trump took office in January but, unlike other federal agencies, did not offer a second in April.
NASA appears to be the only agency taking part in the new buyout, which offers pay and benefits through January instead of September like previous DRPs. Employees have until July 25 to apply and would be placed on administrative leave, exempt from in-person work.
Personnel would also be spared from any future reduction in force (RIF) actions, which NASA leaders have said may or may not happen. The White House’s fiscal year 2026 budget request for NASA outlines a workforce reduction of about 32 percent spanning all 10 of the agency’s major field centers. Its top line funding would be slashed 24 percent, with a nearly 50 percent cut proposed for science programs. The budget has been widely panned by the space industry.
“NASA is preparing for the implementation of the Fiscal Year 2026 budget and realigning to the administration’s priorities,” said acting NASA administrator Janet Petro in an email to employees on Monday. “While it is still moving through the legislative process, the proposed funding requires action now. We need to take proactive steps to align our workforce and resources with evolving priorities and position the agency for continued mission success in the new fiscal year.”
Petro added that the buyout offer is the “first in a sequence of actions associated with our agency reorganization effort” and a “decision that deserves careful thought.”
NASA has shirked some of the White House’s consolidation of public sector employees. The space agency earlier this year said 5 percent of its workforce—or about 900 personnel—took the initial DRP, and it remains under a hiring freeze. But in February it was able to reverse the firing of hundreds of probationary employees at the eleventh hour.
For a few months, NASA also avoided a second wave of DRPs. But personnel—with some exceptions—will once again have a chance to take the buyout. Certain veteran employees will be eligible for voluntary early retirement authority (VERA) or a voluntary separation incentive payment (VSIP) of up to $25,000.
Further workforce reductions could come with an RIF directive, issued in February. Early impacts of that initiative are already being felt. In March, NASA shuttered its Office of the Chief Scientist, Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy, and a branch of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, laying off 23 employees.
The agency is also shrinking its Office of Communications. On Monday, several NASA social media accounts posted that their content will be archived in the coming weeks “as part of NASA’s effort to streamline communications.” These employees have reportedly been placed in a bind. Per NASAWatch, the agency will implement an involuntary RIF if at least 40 percent of communications staff reject the new round of voluntary initiatives.
Several top NASA officials—including associate administrator Jim Free, an architect of the Artemis moon mission program—have resigned in recent months. The agency is also without a permanent chief after Trump last month pulled his nomination of Shift4 Payments founder and private astronaut Jared Isaacman. Isaacman during a podcast appearance said “some people” in the White House with “axes to grind” moved to replace him after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk—from whom he purchased multiple private spaceflight missions—got in a public dispute with Trump.
The reversal leaves NASA rudderless as it contends with one of the largest budget cuts in its history. Isaacman was viewed by many in the industry as someone who might oppose a massive cut to science, which he said “does not appear to be an optimal outcome.” Military.com reported that Trump has consulted General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for help picking a new nominee, raising concerns about Pentagon influence over the space agency.
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