NASA to Lose About 20% of Its Workforce by January 2026
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The Trump administration continues to pursue destructive policies towards US national agencies. On July 25, 2025, the second wave of applications for deferred separation of NASA specialists closed. This time, about 3,000 employees took advantage of the offer to “softly” leave the agency, which, together with the first wave of 870 people, means the loss of about 4,000 skilled workers in the US space industry.
Under this program, employees who agree to voluntarily leave NASA are immediately placed on paid administrative leave. The leave is immediately followed by dismissal from the agency.
The layoff program will reduce the agency’s budget: the US government hopes to reduce it from $25 billion to $19 billion. In total, about 20% of NASA’s employees will leave, and the agency’s staff will be reduced to about 14,000 people.
It is worth noting that just because an employee wants to join the deferred separation program does not mean that he or she will be able to do so. According to NASA representatives, applications will be reviewed, and some may be rejected.
NASA has also lost about 500 employees through attrition since Donald Trump took office in January 2025. The administration has proposed cutting the agency’s 2026 budget by 24% and its science segment by 50%, prompting about 4,000 people to submit resignations.
