
NASA Faces Potential Workforce Reduction as Thousands Apply for Deferred Resignation
So, it looks like NASA might be facing some pretty big changes. I've been reading about how they offered a second round of deferred resignations, and apparently, around 3,000 employees have applied to leave.
Now, if you remember, the previous administration initially introduced this program, offering buyouts to government workers, which allowed them to resign but still receive some pay and benefits for a while. In the first round, about 870 NASA employees took the offer. This second round, which just closed, could bring the total number of departing employees to nearly 4,000. That's a pretty significant chunk of their workforce – about 20 percent, as I understand it.
What's particularly concerning, in my opinion, is that this is happening alongside proposed budget cuts. If these cuts go through, they could seriously impact NASA's science programs and potentially lead to even more job losses. It makes you wonder about the future of some of their ambitious projects, doesn't it?
Some current and former NASA employees are definitely worried. They even wrote a letter to the Interim NASA Administrator, urging him to reject these cuts. They're arguing that these policies could waste resources, compromise safety, weaken national security, and ultimately undermine NASA's core mission. These are pretty serious accusations, and I think they highlight the potential consequences of these decisions.
Source: Engadget