Are NASA Staffers Next on the DOGE Chopping Block?

townhall.com ^ | February 19, 2025 | Madeline Leesman

[V_TWIN]

This week, reports broke that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) arrived at NASA to downsize the agency.

According to ABC News, NASA has laid off 10 percent of its workforce as a result. ABC News cited unnamed sources at the agency about this.

"NASA is complying with the guidance and direction provided by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)," sources at NASA told ABC News in a statement. "It's premature to discuss the impact to our agency, at this time."

Newsweek added that these layoffs impact probationary employees and those accepting buyouts.

The agency’s current administrator, Janet Petro, confirmed to employees that DOGE had arrived this week.

“DOGE Presence: The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has arrived onsite at the agency. We anticipate that they will start reviewing our contracts to find efficiencies,” Petro stated in the Feb. 14, email that was obtained by Spectrum News.

[V_TWIN]

I'm running outta popcorn

[ClearCase_guy]

NASA did something cool back in 1969. Since then it’s been fairly meh.

[bdfromlv]

musk definitely knows what is needed to run a space agency

[dfwgator]

NASA did something cool back in 1969.

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Whitey’s on the moon!

[rktman]

One word.....two astronauts still stuck on the space station! Nice job NASA and now dismissed billy nelson.

[BipolarBob]

It’s a fairly simple job. it’s not like it’s rocket science.

[teeman8r]

NASA is welfare for smart people.

[LukeL]

50 years on man has only gone 0.1% the distance to the Moon.

[Telepathic Intruder]

NASA can’t seem to do anything on schedule anymore anyway.

[Macho MAGA Man]

(NASA did something cool back in 1969.)

Yes, especially when there was no DEI involved back then.

[Jonty30]

It probably still does a lot, because they do a lot of cooperative work with private interests.

However, that doesn’t mean they are not over-sized for the business that they do.

[rdcbn1]

NASA is welfare for smart people.

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You have no idea.....and, in many cases, you may be a bit optimistic about the smart part.

[teeman8r]

how about geeks instead of smart people?

[Empire_of_Liberty]

Musk will find that AI can replace the Hubble at a fraction of the cost…

[V_TWIN]

bill nelson......I lived through that moron as a Florida state senator.

He was jacked up at that as he was with nasa......and as we know.....everything democrats touch turns to shit.

[The Louiswu]

NASA isn’t supposed to work like Space X. NASAs slow, methodical approach to space travel and rocket development was supposed to be a safer and more economical way to space.

NASA lost their was after the Space Shuttle program ended, there was no clear mission just a maybe, perhaps we could go back to the moon one day. Not a solid call to action.

Advances in robotics left manned space flight further in a lurch as small robot rover tech made the need for a manned mission to Mars unnecessary.

Give NASA a clear goal, guarantee proper funding for that mission and give them a director who has the leadership skills to keep it all on track, or dump the whole thing, retire the logo and lease the facilities to commercial space companies who have a reason and see a need for manned and larger, more ambitious robotic space flight. IMHO

[butlerweave]

NASA is so Diverse it’s a write-off

[V_TWIN]

“NASA lost their was after the Space Shuttle program ended, there was no clear mission...”

You can thank obama for that

[Jan_Sobieski]

NASA did something cool back in 1969. Since then it’s been fairly meh.

Faking the moon landings in a studio is not cool. Killing whistleblower Gus Grissom who tried to warn us is not cool (Ask Grissom’s wife). Paying astronauts for life to lie to us is not cool. Fire the entire bunch of grifters and let SpaceX take us there.

[dznutz]

Didn’t Obozo encourage Muslim countries to get involved in our space program? Wonder if any are imbedded in NASA now.