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 probationary employees, initially slated for termination as part of federal workforce reductions, did not receive expected layoff notices this week.
Key NASA centers like Johnson, Goddard, and Marshall Space Flight Centers confirmed their probationary staff were exempted from the cuts, though it's unclear if this applies agency-wide.
While probationary workers were largely spared for now, hundreds of other NASA employees are departing through a deferred resignation offer, and future job security for probationary staff remains uncertain as new guidance is 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.