The National Science Foundation fired 168 employees (10% of workforce) to comply with a presidential executive order aimed at reducing federal workforce. The terminations targeted probationary employees and intermittent experts, impacting program officers who manage research programs and grant evaluations. Staff warn that these cuts will significantly slow down grant reviews and scientific progress.
SpaceX team visits FAA's Air Traffic Control Command Center to help modernize the system amid recent aviation challenges and layoffs. The visit follows a fatal midair collision and comes as hundreds of FAA probationary employees face termination, raising concerns about understaffing and safety.
NASA's workforce has decreased by approximately 10% in the past four weeks, with around 750 employees accepting deferred resignations and over 1,000 probationary employees being terminated. Field center directors have been instructed to prepare for potential additional significant workforce reductions, pending budget negotiations between the White House and Congress.