NASA To Downsize By More Than 20 Percent

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will cut over 20 percent of its workforce under President Donald Trump’s plan to shrink the federal government.

This comes after nearly two rounds of the deferred resignation program implemented by Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency to cut down on waste, fraud and abuse, The Hill reported Saturday. (RELATED: Over 15,000 USDA Employees Take Trump’s Resignation Offer)

Nearly 4,000 NASA employees have left the agency through two rounds of the program, which ended at midnight Friday, according to the outlet. Around 870 employees applied to leave in the first round and another 3,000 did in the second round. This downsized the agency’s workforce from 18,000 to around 14,000, NASA told The Hill’s sister network NewsNation.

“Safety remains a top priority for our agency as we balance the need to become a more streamlined and more efficient organization and work to ensure we remain fully capable of pursuing a Golden Era of exploration and innovation, including to the Moon and Mars,” a NASA spokesperson told the outlet.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – FEBRUARY 07: Clouds are seen behind the NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the Kennedy Space Center February 7, 2008 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Bad weather is threatening today?s scheduled 2:34 pm EST launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

A May budget proposal from the White House aimed to cut NASA’s funding by 24 percent, reducing it from $24 billion to $18 billion, the outlet added.

More than 300 NASA employees sent a letter earlier this month urging the agency not to make cuts and warned of potential consequences.

“We are compelled to speak up when our leadership prioritizes political momentum over human safety, scientific advancement, and efficient use of public resources,” the letter read.

“These cuts are arbitrary and have been enacted in defiance of congressional appropriations law,” the letter went on to say.