NASA is preparing to lose nearly 4,000 employees in 2025 as part of a voluntary resignation initiative tied to the federal government’s Deferred Resignation Program, a policy push by President Donald Trump’s administration to significantly trim the federal workforce.
According to Bloomberg, around 3,870 employees are expected to leave the space agency after two rounds of resignation offers. The exact number may shift as NASA continues to process applications.
In a statement, NASA said it is restructuring to improve efficiency and maintain its focus on safety. “A more streamlined organization will ensure we are fully prepared to enter a new Golden Era of exploration and innovation — including missions to the Moon and Mars,” the agency stated.
Two Waves of Resignations
The first round of resignations occurred early in President Trump’s term, when employees were sent buyout offers via email. This effort, led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, resulted in 870 employees — about 4.8% of NASA’s workforce — opting to leave.
The second round launched in early June 2025, with a deadline of July 25. Roughly 3,000 additional employees — around 16.4% of the workforce — accepted the offer.
After both waves, NASA’s remaining civil servant workforce is expected to total about 14,000 employees.
A Strategy to Avoid Layoffs
NASA officials have promoted deferred resignation as a way to prevent forced layoffs while still meeting the administration’s mandate to reduce the federal workforce.
In a June emergency town hall, NASA Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro emphasized the agency’s intent: “The reason we’re doing this is to minimize involuntary cutbacks. That is our whole goal — minimizing that,” she said, according to an audio recording obtained by Bloomberg.
Earlier this year, NASA requested a “blanket waiver” to shield probationary employees from layoffs.
Concerns Over Talent Drain
The downsizing has sparked concern within the space community, with critics warning of a potential talent drain. A letter addressed to newly appointed NASA interim administrator Sean Duffy — titled The Voyager Declaration — and signed by hundreds of current and former employees, cautioned that the cuts could compromise safety and operational effectiveness.
The letter highlighted that thousands of NASA civil servants have already resigned, retired early, or been terminated, taking with them “highly specialized, irreplaceable knowledge crucial to carrying out NASA’s mission.”
While the agency focuses on restructuring for future exploration, the long-term impact of this mass exodus on mission readiness and institutional expertise remains uncertain
