In July 2025, Politico reported that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was set to lose 2,145 employees as part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to reduce the federal workforce through early retirement, buyout, or deferred resignation. The departures are from senior-level roles typically held by individuals with specialized skills or those in management roles, with more than 1,800 staff leaving core agency mission areas involving research and space exploration.
The loss represents a significant portion of the agency's experienced workforce and will impact all 10 of NASA’s regional centers. The Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland is expected to lose the most staff (607), followed by the Johnson Space Center in Texas (366), the Kennedy Space Center in Florida (311), and the agency’s headquarters in Washington, DC (307). The Trump administration has proposed cutting additional staff and funding from the agency.