NASA Reverses Course on Firing 1,000 Probationary Employees

Space agency’s probationary personnel had expected to receive termination notices on Tuesday, but none came.

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at 02:18 PM ET

Verified

Employees at NASA’s Johnson Space Center were told they were exempt from an ‘impending layoff plan.’ [Courtesy: NASA/Bill Stafford]

Key Takeaways:

NASA's probationary employees, previously slated for widespread firings as part of federal workforce cuts, unexpectedly retained their jobs this week.
Employees at major centers like Johnson, Goddard, and Marshall Space Flight Centers were specifically exempted, possibly due to NASA's argument that these roles are mission-critical.
Despite this reprieve, the long-term status of probationary employees remains uncertain, as new guidance on workforce reduction is still anticipated.

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Updated February 20 at 9:15 a.m. EST with comment from NASA.

Probationary NASA workers may be sticking around, at least for now, following earlier reports that the space agency was firing more than 1,000 employees.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.