NASA Layoffs: 2,145 Senior-Ranking NASA Employees Leave as US Space Agency Pushes To Reduce Staff Amid Donald Trump’s Budget Cut Plans

Washington, July 10: NASA has reportedly started trimming its workforce as US President Donald Trump cut the budget for its operations. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has previously cut jobs amid the federal layoffs initiated by the Trump administration. The layoffs at NASA have reportedly affected over 2,000 senior employees. Most of the affected employees hold senior government ranks.

According to a report by Politico, at least 2,145 senior-ranking NASA employees would leave amid the space agency's push to cut staff. The employees working in the GS-13 to GS-15 positions have specialised skills and management responsibilities. It said, "The losses are particularly concentrated at higher levels, with 875 GS-15 employees set to leave." Intel Layoffs: Tech Giant To Begin Job Cuts in Mid-July Amid Ongoing Restructuring Efforts, Executives Inform Employees About Decision via Memo, Says Report.

NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens said that the US space agency would remain committed to its mission to work on more prioritised projects, according to a report by Reuters. This year, the space agency has laid off several employees amid a political push. In February 2025, NASA laid off 10% of its workforce amid the US government's push to cut federal employees. 

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, issued an order to eliminate "waste, bloat and insularity" in federal agencies. NASA's previous acting administrator, Janet Petro, said the internal team had identified areas to streamline the agency's operations and reduce duplicative reporting and analysis. NASA layoffs were called "targeted" and "cruel" by the reports. Tech Layoffs 2025: 51,028 Employees Laid Off by 112 Companies So Far This Year Due to Various Reasons, 23,486 Laid Off in April Alone.

Trump said he would cut dozens of science programmes at NASA by cutting the budget. The layoffs have been implemented amid NASA's struggle to appoint a confirmed administrator for its operations. Janet Petro was replaced by Sean Duffy as the new NASA administrator. According to a tech and federal layoffs tracking website, Layoffs.Fyi, federal job cuts initiated by the Trump government affected 1,71,843 workers. DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), which was previously led by Elon Musk, cut 61,296 govt jobs. 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 10, 2025 12:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).