This week, reports broke that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) arrived at NASA to downsize the agency.
According to ABC News, NASA has laid off 10 percent of its workforce as a result. ABC News cited unnamed sources at the agency about this.
As thousands of federal employees continue to be terminated, sources at NASA tell @ABC News that 10% of its workforce has been laid off. https://t.co/Rrx7SS5cJY
— ABC News (@ABC) February 18, 2025
"NASA is complying with the guidance and direction provided by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)," sources at NASA told ABC News in a statement. "It's premature to discuss the impact to our agency, at this time."
Newsweek added that these layoffs impact probationary employees and those accepting buyouts.
The agency’s current administrator, Janet Petro, confirmed to employees that DOGE had arrived this week.
“DOGE Presence: The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has arrived onsite at the agency. We anticipate that they will start reviewing our contracts to find efficiencies,” Petro stated in the Feb. 14, email that was obtained by Spectrum News.
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There were no other details provided.
Cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are expected, as well.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) condemned the layoffs, according to Newsweek. AFGE President Everett Kelley told the Houston Chronicle: "This administration has abused the probationary period to conduct a politically driven mass firing spree, targeting employees not because of performance, but because they were hired before Trump took office."
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