NASA closes 3 offices and eliminates chief scientist role, 23 to be laid off

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By Jack Aylmer (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer)

NASA said it is closing three offices and laying off nearly two dozen employees as part of workforce reductions ordered by the Trump administration. NASA said that it would close the Office of Technology, Policy and Strategy, the Office of the Chief Scientist, and the Diversity Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility branch of its DEI office.
The space agency will also lay off about two dozen employees.
In an email to employees obtained by Space News, NASA’s acting administrator Janet Petro wrote that the layoffs are part of moves “mandated by the White House to reduce the size of the federal workforce.”

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NASA said it is closing three offices and laying off nearly two dozen employees as part of workforce reductions ordered by the Trump administration.

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What offices are impacted?

NASA announced on Monday, March 10, it would close the Office of Technology, Policy and Strategy; the Office of the Chief Scientist; and the Diversity Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility branch of its DEI office.

Around two dozen employees will be laid off due to the closures.

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Why is NASA making the move?

NASA’s acting administrator Janet Petro wrote the layoffs are part of the White House’s effort to reduce the size of the federal workforce.

On Feb. 11, President Donald Trump signed the Workforce Optimization Initiative executive order. The order directed federal agencies to prepare for “large-scale reduction in force.” It also asked for a report due within 30 days on “whether the agency or any of its subcomponents should be eliminated or consolidated.”

Petro said that the closures of the offices are “in advance of the agency’s reduction in force” and part of “the broader governmentwide restructuring effort.”

What did the offices do for the agency?

NASA developed the Office of Technology, Policy and Strategy in 2021 to deliver data on issues ranging from space sustainability to space solar research.

NASA’s Chief Scientist Kate Calvin is one of the employees being laid off. She is a key advisor to the agency’s senior leadership on science issues.

What is the bigger picture?

NASA already had plans to close its diversity office as a result of an executive order issued just days after Trump took office. The executive order directed federal agencies to end DEI programs and terminate employees within them.

Petro said the changes may “mean difficult adjustments” but said it’s “an opportunity to reshape our workforce … while also providing American citizens with an efficient and effective agency.”

Tags: Aerospace, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, federal employees, International Space Station, NASA, Space Command, Space Debris, Space Technology, Tech, Technology, White House, Workers Rights

[JACK AYLMER]

NASA SAYS IT’S CLOSING THREE OFFICES AND LAYING OFF NEARLY TWO DOZEN EMPLOYEES AS PART OF WORKFORCE REDUCTIONS ORDERED BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

NASA ANNOUNCED MONDAY IT WOULD CLOSE THE OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY, POLICY AND STRATEGY, THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST AND THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND ACCESSIBILITY BRANCH OF ITS D-E-I OFFICE

ABOUT TWO DOZEN EMPLOYEES WILL BE LAID OFF AS A RESULT.

IN AN EMAIL TO EMPLOYEES OBTAINED BY SPACE NEWS, NASA’S ACTING ADMINISTRATOR JANET PETRO WROTE THE LAYOFFS ARE PART OF MOVES “MANDATED BY THE WHITE HOUSE TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE” AFTER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER KNOWN AS THE “WORKFORCE OPTIMIZATION INITIATIVE.”

THE ORDER ISSUED ON FEBRUARY 11TH, DIRECTS FEDERAL AGENCIES TO PREPARE FOR “LARGE-SCALE REDUCTION IN FORCE” WITH A REPORT DUE WITHIN 30 DAYS ON “WHETHER THE AGENCY OR ANY OF ITS SUBCOMPONENTS SHOULD BE ELIMINATED OR CONSOLIDATED.”

PETRO SAID THE CLOSURE OF THE OFFICES ARE “IN ADVANCE OF THE AGENCY’S” REDUCTION IN FORCE AND PART OF “THE BROADER GOVERNMENTWIDE RESTRUCTURING EFFORT.”

NASA DEVELOPED THE OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY, POLICY AND STRATEGY IN 2021 TO DELIVER “DATA ON ISSUES RANGING FROM SPACE SUSTAINABILITY TO SPACE SOLAR POWER RESEARCH.

NASA’S CHIEF SCIENTIST KATE CALVIN, WHO IS HAVING HER POSITION ELIMINATED, IS A KEY ADVISER TO THE AGENCY’S SENIOR LEADERSHIP ON SCIENCE ISSUES.

NASA ALREADY HAD PLANS TO CLOSE IT DIVERSITY OFFICE AS A RESULT OF AN EXECUTIVE ORDER ISSUED JUST DAYS AFTER TRUMP TOOK OFFICE DIRECTING FEDERAL AGENCIES TO END D-E-I PROGRAMS AND TERMINATE EMPLOYEES WITHIN THEM.

PETRO SAYS THE CHANGES MAY “MEAN DIFFICULT ADJUSTMENTS” BUT SAYS IT’S “AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESHAPE OUR WORKFORCE… WHILE ALSO PROVIDING AMERICAN CITIZENS WITH AN EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE AGENCY.”

FOR MORE ON THIS STORY– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M JACK AYLMER.

Bias Summary

NASA confirmed it is closing three offices, resulting in the layoff of 23 employees, as part of workforce reductions mandated by the Trump administration.
The offices being closed are the Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy; the Office of the Chief Scientist; and the DEIA Branch.
Acting Administrator Janet Petro stated that these layoffs are part of a broader Workforce Optimization Initiative directed by the White House.
NASA is collaborating with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to execute the reduction.

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Bias Comparison

Media outlets on the left illustrate NASA’s restructuring as a direct consequence of the Trump administration’s directives, framing layoffs as urgent and impactful.

Media outlets in the center emphasize compliance with the broader Workforce Optimization Initiative, portraying the layoffs more as procedural changes.

Media outlets on the right reference external influences from figures like Elon Musk, suggesting a political dimension to the layoffs beyond mere workforce reduction.

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