posted 02-17-2025 01:33 PM               

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has arrived onsite at the agency. We anticipate that they will start reviewing our contracts to find efficiencies.

posted 02-18-2025 01:00 PM            

"NASA is complying with the guidance and direction provided by OPM. It's premature to discuss the impact to our agency, at this time," they said in a statement.

posted 02-18-2025 01:27 PM               

The Planetary Society Strongly Opposes Mass Layoffs of Probationary Employees at NASA

"Workforce changes should be in service of improving the agency's ability to execute its mission. Indiscriminate layoffs do not serve this purpose."

The Planetary Society, the world's largest independent space advocacy organization, issued the following statement following reports that every probationary employee at NASA will have their employment abruptly terminated:

"The Planetary Society strongly opposes the sudden, indiscriminate dismissal of upwards of 1,000 scientists, engineers, and explorers at NASA — the largest involuntary workforce reduction since the end of the Apollo program. While we recognize the value of improved efficiency and structural optimization, any workforce changes should be in service of improving the agency's ability to execute its mission. Indiscriminate layoffs do not serve this purpose.

"These public servants — many of whom are just starting their careers — represent the future of NASA. Their removal does not reflect their abilities or commitment to advancing U.S. interests in space, only that they chose to join the nation's space agency within the past year.

"We urge the Trump Administration to reverse this arbitrary decision and work with Congress and other stakeholders to define a clear strategy for continued U.S. leadership in space and to ensure the nation's space agency has the workforce necessary to succeed in its mission."

NASA provides a 3-to-1 return on the taxpayer's investment, according to recent economic analyses, generating more than $75 billion in the U.S. economy and supporting over 300,000 jobs across the country. Furthermore, data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis indicates that investments by government programs have been the primary growth driver of the American space economy, while private sector GDP has fallen an average of 3.0% between 2018 and 2022. Any significant downturn in federal investments in NASA will have severe ramifications for the overall space economy and American capabilities in space exploration.

Historically, NASA has been a unifying force in the American political system and across the globe. Upon the inauguration of President Trump, The Planetary Society submitted recommendations for the administration to embrace the unique role of NASA to make major advancements in space exploration over the next four years.

posted 02-18-2025 07:10 PM               

...by late in the afternoon field center directors received confirmation from the White House that NASA's probationary employees — of which there are more than 1,000 across the agency's headquarters and 10 field centers — would not be terminated. These employees comprise about 6 percent of NASA's workforce.

It was not immediately clear why.

posted 02-19-2025 02:57 PM               

NASA continues to work as quickly as possible to comply with the guidance and direction provided by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for the Deferred Resignation Program and probationary employees.

The agency is in the process of validating hundreds of employees who responded to the deferred resignation offer before the deadline. Some probationary employees have taken the deferred resignation offer and those individuals have been, or will be, on administrative leave by the end of this week.

NASA is working with OPM on exemptions for those in the probationary period in mission critical functions.

posted 02-20-2025 03:17 PM               

About 5% of NASA's workforce accepted the resignation offer in the Deferred Resignation Program. A small subset of that group was probationary employees and will be allowed to enter into the Deferred Resignation Program.

After working with OPM and a careful evaluation of our workforce and mission requirements, probationary separations will be performance-based or voluntary in accordance with agency policy. The agency will continue to monitor all employee performances and take swift action as appropriate with any issues, ensuring American citizens have an excellent and efficient workforce at NASA.

posted 03-10-2025 11:16 AM               

To optimize our workforce, and in compliance with an Executive Order, NASA is beginning its phased approach to a reduction in force, known as a RIF. A small number of individuals received notification Monday [March 10] they are a part of NASA's RIF. If they're eligible, those employees may opt to participate in the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority, or VERA, or complete the RIF process.

posted 03-14-2025 02:13 PM               

In compliance with the President's Workforce Optimization Initiative, NASA continues to work on our broader reorganization plan.

Considering a variety of agency priorities this week, including the launch of SPHEREx and PUNCH, as well as preparations for NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 launch Friday, and other agency missions, the agency received a one-week extension on our initial submission.

posted 04-11-2025 12:17 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Blackarrow:
I wouldn't bet too much on the survival of the Mars Sample Return mission...

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posted 04-11-2025 03:07 PM               

The saving grace for the Mars sample return mission may very well be that China is planning its own. This administration has made it clear it has no interest in letting China claim any firsts in space.

Of course, the White House may be cutting NASA's Mars sample mission in favor for what Elon Musk says SpaceX will be doing in a year and a half's time:

Starship will hopefully depart for Mars at the end of next year with Optimus explorer robots!

posted 04-11-2025 04:16 PM            

In the other direction, there is clearly a responsibility to avoid contaminating Mars and killing off Martian bacteria with Earth bacteria, but how far do you go? Just how carefully were all the early Mars landers sterilized? Mars 2? Mars 3? Mariner 9 will probably burn up soon. Will any of it reach the surface?

How well was Perseverance sterilized? If NASA is confident that it is fully sterilized, then can we assume that the sealed samples it has left for collection by a future sample return mission contain pristine samples? They could be collected by a future astronaut crew, whose bacteria-laden exhalations would not reach the sealed material.

It goes against 60 years of support for space missions for me to argue in favour of cancelling the Mars sample return mission, but a combination of the enormous cost; the risk of mission failure; and the lengthy timeline into the 2030s lead me to conclude that it would be better for NASA to sacrifice MSR in an effort to save DAVINCI and the Roman Space Telescope (which is essentially completed).

posted 04-11-2025 04:31 PM               

The Planetary Society warns of dark age for space science under reported NASA budget cuts

The Planetary Society issued the following statement in response to reports of the White House's budget "passback" to NASA for fiscal year (FY) 2026:

Days ago, the Administration's nominee to lead NASA called for a "new golden age of science and discovery" at the agency. The proposed budget from within the White House — which cuts NASA science by 47% — would plunge NASA into a dark age instead.

If enacted, this budget would force the premature termination of dozens of active, productive spacecraft. These spacecraft are unique assets: their instrumentation and capabilities cannot be replaced without billions of dollars of new taxpayer investment. No commercial or private space companies can fill this gap.

This budget would halt the development of nearly every future science project at NASA, wasting billions of dollars of taxpayer funds already spent on these projects, abandoning international and commercial partners, and surrendering U.S. leadership in space science to other nations.

This budget would eviscerate space science research, withering the nation's STEM talent pipeline by removing opportunities to train future scientists and engineers.

The Planetary Society condemns this proposal for NASA and for NASA science. We urge Congress to swiftly reject this proposal and restore funding for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. We remain committed to joining with all stakeholders to protect and promote U.S. leadership in the scientific exploration of space.

In response to these proposed cuts, The Planetary Society has launched a campaign to urge citizens to write their representatives and voice their concerns. We urge Americans supportive of space exploration to join our campaign and share their support of NASA science at planet.

posted 04-15-2025 09:41 PM               

Rep. Chu Sounds Alarm on White House's Proposed Budget Cuts to Mars Sample Return

Today, President Trump's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reportedly sent a preliminary budget plan to NASA that proposes a 50% cut to NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and to eliminate funding for the Mars Sample Return (MRS) mission led by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which is owned by NASA and administered by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28), whose district includes JPL and Caltech, released the following statement:

"As a steadfast champion of Caltech and JPL and strong supporter of the Mars Sample Return program as our nation's highest planetary science priority, I am horrified by the reports that the Trump White House wants to defund the MSR mission entirely. I can't be clear enough: this decision would devastate our region, our workforce, and our future scientific discoveries.

"Completing this mission and bringing back these samples — which are already being collected on Mars' surface—is essential to maintaining American leadership on Mars and paving the way for eventual human exploration of the planet. Ending funding now would completely undermine the decades of investments already made into our Mars program, devastate our nation's Mars workforce at JPL and around the country, and threaten years of future scientific discovery and innovation to come. JPL has already lost hundreds of Mars experts last year due to shortsighted budget cuts, and our nation's world-class space program cannot afford to lose more.

"I will work tirelessly with my colleagues in Congress of both parties to fully reject the Trump Administration's plan and designate the robust and appropriate funding this year and beyond for MSR. I will never stop fighting to protect the workforce and bring these samples back so we can continue to pursue the kinds of groundbreaking scientific discovery and technological innovation that JPL, and the United States, have been on the frontlines of for decades."

Rep. Chu and Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02), who both co-Chair the bipartisan Congressional Planetary Science Caucus, released the following joint statement today in response:

"As Co-Chairs of the Planetary Science Caucus, we are extremely alarmed by reports of a preliminary White House budget that proposes cutting NASA Science funding by almost half and terminating dozens of programs already well underway, like the Mars Sample Return mission and the Roman Space Telescope.

NASA Science is a cornerstone of our nation's space program, supporting thousands of jobs nationwide and driving countless scientific discoveries and technological advancements. If enacted, these proposed cuts would demolish our space economy and workforce, threaten our national security and defense capabilities, and ultimately surrender the United States' leadership in space, science, and technological innovation to our adversaries. The United States must be the first to land and return samples from Mars and return humans to the moon for the first time in more than half a century.

We will work closely with our colleagues in Congress on a bipartisan basis to push back against these proposed cuts and program terminations and to ensure full and robust funding for NASA Science in Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations. Together, we must maintain America's preeminence in space."