‘Sinking ship’: NASA’s finest flee as Donald Trump declares ‘thinking too hard’ un-American

Over 2,000 senior NASA employees are leaving the space agency as the Trump administration pushes for major budget cuts and workforce reductions. The departures include some of NASA’s most experienced staff members who work in key areas like science and human space flight missions.

At least 2,145 high-level NASA employees are set to leave as the agency faces pressure from the Trump administration to reduce its staff. Those leaving include 1,818 staff serving in mission areas like science or human space flight, with the rest performing mission support roles like IT, facilities management or finance.

Social media users have described the situation as a “sinking ship,” with many expressing concern about the loss of experienced personnel during a critical time for American space exploration. The departures come as NASA faces its largest proposed budget cut in the agency’s history, while Trump and Musk’s complicated relationship continues to shape administration policy decisions.

Trump administration proposes record budget cuts to NASA

The Trump administration has proposed dramatic budget cuts to NASA that would slash funding by $6 billion. This would be the largest single-year budget cut in NASA’s history, including the early 1970s when the Apollo moon program was winding down. The proposed cuts would cancel high-profile missions like the Mars sample-return project and other scientific endeavors.

Space exploration and science could take a serious hit as funding is slashed by 24% under Trump’s proposed budget. The administration has made clear its desire to drastically slash NASA’s science spending, with a proposal to cut it in half, down to $3.9 billion. These cuts would affect research centers across the country and force the cancellation of multiple ongoing projects.

NASA Langley Research Center will lose funding for several projects and cut its workforce by 672 civil servants. The agency has offered staff early retirement, buyouts and deferred resignations to manage the transition. NASA employees have until July 25 to decide whether to take part in any of the staff reduction programs.

The workforce reduction comes at a time when NASA is working on major projects including the Artemis moon program and various Mars exploration missions. Critics worry that losing so many experienced employees could set back American space exploration efforts for years. The departures affect not just scientists and engineers but also support staff who help keep NASA’s facilities and technology running smoothly.

Many of the departing employees represent decades of experience in space exploration and scientific research. The loss of institutional knowledge could impact NASA’s ability to complete current missions and plan future ones. The situation has raised concerns among space industry experts about America’s long-term competitiveness in space exploration, especially as Elon Musk’s SpaceX continues to operate with minimal oversight from him personally.