Additional Coverage:
- NASA begins its DOGE restructuring by firing workers and announcing 3 departments will be shut down (businessinsider.com)
NASA Begins Restructuring, Cuts Three Departments
NASA has initiated a restructuring effort, resulting in the closure of three departments and the dismissal of 23 employees. An internal email from acting administrator Janet Petro, obtained by news sources, confirmed the closures are part of a larger workforce reduction mandated by the Trump administration.
The affected departments include the Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy; the Office of the Chief Scientist; and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility branch of the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity. The move comes as part of President Trump’s executive order to implement workplace restructuring across federal agencies.
While the email stated this marks the beginning of NASA’s reduction in force, it remains unclear whether all employees within the shuttered departments were terminated or if some will be reassigned within the agency. A NASA spokesperson confirmed that affected employees eligible for voluntary early retirement may opt for that program or complete the reduction in force process.
One NASA employee expressed concern that eliminating the Office of the Chief Scientist sends a negative message regarding the role of science within the administration’s national goals.
These changes are part of a broader wave of restructuring across the federal workforce, including thousands of layoffs and budget cuts across multiple agencies. The Office of Personnel Management had previously instructed all federal agencies to submit reorganization plans.