Trump moves to axe over 2,000 NASA experts as budget slashes threaten core space missions

The Trump administration is preparing to purge more than 2,000 senior employees from NASA, a move that could gut the space agency’s core scientific and exploratory programs and unravel decades of institutional knowledge, according to internal documents obtained by Politico.

Among those on the chopping block are 1,818 staff working directly in mission-critical areas such as science, technology, and human spaceflight. Hundreds more serve in essential support roles, including IT, finance, and program management.

The reductions come as part of a larger White House effort to downsize government staffing across federal agencies, primarily targeting GS-13 to GS-15 level officials—those with specialized expertise and significant managerial experience.

NASA has already begun offering early retirements, buyout packages, and deferred resignation options to the affected personnel. The space agency, which currently employs around 18,000 people, stands to lose more than 10% of its workforce in what critics are calling a “quiet dismantling” of America’s civil space leadership.

“NASA remains committed to our mission as we work within a more prioritized budget,” NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens was quoted as saying by Reuters, sidestepping specifics about the staffing cuts.

The shakeup coincides with the Trump administration’s proposed 2026 federal budget, which calls for a staggering 25% reduction in NASA funding — potentially shrinking the agency’s financial footprint to levels not seen since the 1960s. If approved by Congress, the budget would force the cancellation of dozens of science and exploration initiatives, even as global rivals expand their presence in space.

Since returning to the White House in January, President Trump has moved swiftly to reshape federal priorities. The NASA purge follows layoffs across the broader U.S. space industry and reflects the administration’s pivot toward commercial space partnerships over government-led exploration.

In another controversial development, Trump on July 9 named Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as NASA’s acting administrator—a position that has remained unfilled after Trump withdrew his original nominee. The move was seen as a setback for SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, whose close ally and private astronaut Jared Isaacman had been widely tipped for the role.

The sweeping cuts have sparked concerns across scientific and aerospace communities, with many warning that the loss of expertise could set back US space ambitions for years, if not decades.