In a major shake-up within the U.S. space agency, the Trump administration is reportedly planning to cut 2,145 senior-ranking employees from NASA, as revealed in documents obtained by Politico. The targeted positions fall under the GS-13 to GS-15 pay grades, typically held by experienced professionals in technical and managerial roles—a move that has sparked concern across the space policy community.
Cuts to Hit Core NASA Operations
Of the employees affected, 1,818 are currently serving in NASA’s core mission areas, including science, human spaceflight, and aeronautics, while the rest support mission functions such as information technology. Many of the employees have decades of experience, raising questions about the future depth of expertise at NASA.
“You’re losing the managerial and core technical expertise of the agency,”
— Casey Dreier, Chief of Space Policy, The Planetary Society
NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens confirmed the restructuring in a statement to Reuters, saying:
“NASA remains committed to our mission as we work within a more prioritized budget.”
To ease the transition, the agency is offering early retirements, buyouts, and deferred resignations, according to the internal documents.
Fallout Between Trump and Musk Complicates Leadership Plans
The job cuts come amid broader instability in the U.S. space sector. President Trump’s once-close relationship with Elon Musk, who helped shape the cost-cutting “Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)” has reportedly soured. Trump even criticized Musk publicly on social media, suggesting it would have been “inappropriate” to appoint someone tied so closely to Musk to lead NASA.
One of the consequences: the sudden withdrawal of Trump’s NASA Administrator nominee, Jared Isaacman, a billionaire astronaut and Musk associate. His candidacy was dropped last month, stalling leadership plans at NASA during a critical phase of budget negotiations and program reviews.
On July 10, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed via Truth Social that Sean Duffy, the Secretary of Transportation, will serve as the Interim NASA Administrator. Trump praised Duffy’s leadership in modernizing transportation infrastructure and said he would be a “fantastic leader of the ever more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period.”
“I am directing our GREAT Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, to be Interim Administrator of NASA… He will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period of time,” Trump wrote.
This appointment comes amidst leadership uncertainty and the sudden withdrawal of billionaire astronaut Jared Isaacman from consideration last month.
What This Means for the Future
NASA currently employs around 18,000 people. With no confirmed administrator and multiple science programs at risk due to budget cuts, experts worry the loss of institutional knowledge and leadership vacuum could affect NASA’s long-term goals, including deep space exploration, international collaborations, and climate science missions.
The move reflects broader tensions between political leadership and the scientific community, reigniting debates over how much influence private players like Musk should have in federal space policy, and whether aggressive cost-cutting undermines national innovation.
