NASA has laid off 23 employees, including its chief scientist Katherine Calvin, a climate expert appointed by former President Joe Biden.
The United States space agency abruptly closed Calvin’s office, as well as two others on March 10, reported Nature. This means NASA no longer has the ability to provide its top leaders with independent science advice.
“This is shortsighted and hugely alarming,” said Democrat Zoe Lofgren, U.S. representative from California and the House Committee’s ranking member on Science, Space and Technology, in a statement, as The New York Times reported. “Trump’s assault on science continues. If you wanted a playbook on how to lose to China in every technological race, this is it.”
In an agency-wide email, acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro said, “We’re viewing this as an opportunity to reshape our workforce,” reported Nature.
The layoffs are part of extensive cuts to the federal government by President Donald Trump, his Senior Advisor Elon Musk and the recently formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The firings are the administration’s first at NASA and make the agency the only one thus far to preemptively terminate career employees, rather than those still working under a probationary period.
NASA offices that were shuttered by DOGE include the Office of the Chief Scientists; the Office of Technology, Policy and Strategy; and the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity’s branch of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.
The last was closed in compliance with Trump’s January 20 executive order to cut diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives throughout the federal government.
“To optimize our [workforce], and in compliance with an executive order, NASA is beginning its phased approach to a reduction in force, known as a RIF,” NASA spokesperson Cheryl Warner said in an email, as The New York Times reported. “A small number of individuals received notification Monday they are a part of NASA’s RIF.”
The other two offices that were closed offered ways to connect strategy across the agency’s departments and divisions, while giving advice on matters of science and technology to NASA’s chief administrator.
By closing these offices, “you will lose strategic thinking,” said a NASA staff member familiar with the offices’ structure who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, as reported by Nature.
Grant Tremblay, external relations lead at the Harvard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, criticized the moves in a post on X, “NASA is small, but it is arguably the most legendary and globally beloved agency in American history. Its gutting has begun, & the cuts to come are so massive that we won’t recognize it in a year.”
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