[Non-Sequitur]

A lot of them likely would have been working on getting those things designed and built.

Would they? The last space shuttle was designed and built decades ago, and NASA didn't build it. The people being let go are the ones who have been supporting the shuttles and planning and operating the missions. Well, the shuttle is going away. The replacement would have been a decade away. There is absolutely no reason to retain them just for the sake of retaining them in a job if there is nothing for them to do.

[chimera]

That's the point. There would be something for them to do if there were a Constellation/Orion to work on. Contractors would be happy to have those shuttle workers with experience involved in building hardware and operating facilities.

One of my former students called me the other day asking about a job. He's getting the boot with the trashing of the Orion program. With Orion in place there was something for him to do. Now, nothing. So it isn't just shuttle operations people getting the boot.

And no, he isn't going to do Muslim Outreach.