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NASA Plans Mass Exodus and Mission Closeouts Under Trump’s Budget Blueprint

Senate appropriators have drafted a $24.9 billion proposal to preserve science funding before buyouts reshape NASA’s workforce.

The NASA logo hangs in the Mission Operations Control Center at Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia, U.S., October 26, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo
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Overview

  • The White House’s FY2026 budget blueprint would cut NASA’s funding from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion, marking the largest single‐year reduction in the agency’s history.
  • Science Mission Directorate funding would fall by nearly 47%, halting planned science missions and advanced technology projects.
  • NASA has offered voluntary buyouts; 2,600 employees have accepted those offers, with roughly 350 more departures expected, representing about 17% of its workforce.
  • Mission leaders have been directed to draft closeout plans for projects at risk of cancellation by the October 1 start of fiscal year 2026.
  • The agency is operating under interim administrator Sean Duffy after the withdrawal of its presidential nominee, leaving NASA with no permanent leadership.