As if all the changes that Donald Trump has carried out since he took office last January were not enough, now it is the turn of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). According to information from The Nation, more than 3,870 employees would cease to be part of the agency before January 2026. This would be implemented with the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP), through which workers access an administrative leave with pay before voluntarily leaving their position. It is an alternative to forced layoffs, aimed at reducing federal public spending.
A group of NASA employees issued the ‘Voyager Statement’, a letter addressed to the Interim Administrator of the Agency, Sean Duffy, where they express concern about the consequences these measures and cuts are having on ongoing long-term projects. It is expected that by 2026 the cuts to the federal budget allocated to NASA will increase by up to 24%. The former interim administrator, Janet Petro, acknowledges the usefulness of the DRP to prevent layoffs, but its impact on the agency is inevitable. These cuts could be accompanied by the suspension of programs such as the Artemis Program, or key missions to the Moon and Mars.
Trump vs. NASA
The admission of President Trump has initiated a series of budget cuts that affect the integrity of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The federal budget allocated to NASA has been reduced previously, which has left thousands of workers out. Currently, according to the media outlet The Nation, more than 3,870 NASA employees would stop working there before January 2026, which represents about 20% of the total workforce. Is there going to be a mass layoff campaign? Fortunately, no. The government has opted for a more ‘elegant’ solution to avoid reaching that point. The Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) has been developed.
Deferred Resignation Program (DRP)
This new program is part of the government initiative to prevent mass layoffs at NASA, but to reduce costs in investment as well. Through the DRP, workers can access a paid administrative leave before voluntarily leaving their position at NASA. It works as follows:
- Phase 1. It started in February 2025, when 870 employees took part in this program.
- Phase 2. July 2025. An additional 3,000 employees joined the program.
How does this measure affect NASA?
The staff cuts at the Agency have not only occurred through this program, but hundreds of employees have taken advantage of the Early and Voluntary Retirement Authority or the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program. As is logical, NASA personnel are completely opposed to these measures. More than 500 regular resignations have occurred since Trump has been in power. Additionally, a group of scientists has drafted the “Voyager Declaration,” a public letter addressed to Sean Duffy, the current interim administrator. In it, they express their concerns and discontent, and it can be read, “Thousands of NASA employees have already been laid off, resigned, or retired early, taking with them highly specialized and irreplaceable knowledge”.
What awaits NASA in 2026?
The bad news doesn’t stop here. The federal budget proposed for 2026 includes a 24% cut to NASA’s funding, leading to cuts of up to 50% in some areas. Janet Pero, the former interim administrator, acknowledged that the DRPs prevent mass layoffs, but the internal consequences of these cuts are having a brutal impact on the agency. If things continue as they seem, NASA will soon cease to be what it has been until now. It will have to say goodbye to its leadership in space exploration, and worse yet, long-term projects and missions, such as those planned for the Moon or Mars, should be canceled.
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