The news that the Trump administration wishes to reduce the number of NASA workers by over two thousand is a profound change to the organization and the US space industry at large. Such an action aims at older employees who have developed exceptional skills and decades of experience. This kind of reduction is not numerical. It concerns the expiry of institutional expertise and capability to accomplish complex engagements that have been the nature of NASA as a party of innovation and performance.
The direct impact is uncertainty within NASA and the overall space industry of the US. Given past and current takeovers and early retirements of so many employees in the key science and human space flight jobs, the current and future operations will be at risk until the competent workforce is restored. The former agency heads expressed their firm criticism regarding the cuts. They say such funding will erode the American leadership in exploring space and disperse the economic as well as technological advancement which NASA provides in the US.
From a forecast perspective, the consequences may be worse. America runs the risk of losing the space race with other countries, particularly China because China keeps putting up funds for future groundbreaking science expeditions. It may be more challenging to restore the reputation as NASA loses the experienced personnel and cancels the science programs, which can be set out in the future funding return. This is because the capability of the agency to innovate, inspire, and lead could be weakening over many years.
How Congress reacts and whether or not there is sufficient political muscle to restore or bridge these reductions is now the new fate of NASA. Unless a reversing trend is implemented, the US may experience deterioration of its space sciences accomplishments, mandate and employment, and fewer discoveries. This will be a turning point, not only in the history of NASA but will change the future of American scientific and exploration leadership.
