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3d ago

Makenzie Lystrup to Depart NASA’s Goddard on Aug. 1; Deputy Cynthia Simmons Named Acting Director

Her departure follows a wave of senior staff exits driven by a voluntary separation program with employee dissent over proposed funding cuts.

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Overview

  • Dr. Makenzie Lystrup will step down as director of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center on Aug. 1, with deputy Cynthia Simmons taking over as acting director.
  • Since early July, more than 2,100 senior staff have accepted voluntary separation offers under NASA’s agency-wide workforce reduction program.
  • The Voyager Declaration, signed by over 280 current and former employees, warns that proposed budget cuts pose catastrophic risks to safety and scientific missions.
  • NASA Goddard oversees flagship projects including the Hubble Space Telescope, Solar Dynamics Observatory, OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample-return mission and the upcoming Roman Space Telescope.
  • Bipartisan lawmakers are drafting a bill to restore NASA’s FY2025 budget as they consider President Donald Trump’s proposed 25% reduction for FY2026.