NASA Chief Scientist Katherine Calvin, 22 Others Laid Off as Space Agency Begins ‘Reduction in Force’ on Trump’s Orders

NASA Starts Workforce Reduction, Fires Chief Scientist Katherine Calvin and 22 Others

Washington, D.C. — NASA said on Tuesday that it has fired its chief scientist, Katherine Calvin, and 22 other workers in her office as part of a directive from President Donald Trump to cut federal agency costs. The firings are part of a larger effort by the administration to bring cost-cutting to all federal agencies, with research-oriented departments being disproportionately hit.

A NASA spokesperson, quoting an AFP report, confirmed that although 23 employees were impacted in the first round of layoffs, more cuts are anticipated in the next few months.

Targeted Layoffs at NASA

The initial round of job losses has seen the Office of the Chief Scientist, once headed by Calvin, scrapped. Calvin, a renowned climatologist, has been at the center of influential UN climate reports. Her recent exclusion from a prominent meeting of climate science experts in China had already provoked fears of a change in the research priorities of NASA.

“To better align our workforce, and in accordance with an Executive Order, NASA is initiating its phased process toward a reduction in force, or RIF,” said NASA spokesperson Cheryl Warner. “A few people got word on March 10 that they’re included in NASA’s RIF. If they qualify, those employees can choose to take part in the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority, or VERA, or go through the RIF process.”

The layoffs also encompass the shutdown of the Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy, and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Branch in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

NASA’s Transition Towards Space Exploration Rather Than Research

Although NASA has been largely spared from draconian budget reductions at other federal agencies, sources indicate that last-minute action by Jared Isaacman—Trump’s appointee to the position of NASA administrator—served to lessen even more drastic layoffs. Isaacman, a billionaire businessman and SpaceX client, is a close ally of Elon Musk, one of Trump’s top advisors and an advocate of federal budget cutting.

In February, NASA had been reportedly set to terminate about 1,000 probationary workers, but Isaacman’s intervention briefly suspended the plan, as per a report by Ars Technica. The agency has not yet provided an explanation for the policy change.

The latest layoffs, first reported by NASA Watch through an internal memorandum, point towards a possible shift in the focus of the agency. The Trump administration, including Musk, has promoted a policy of emphasizing space exploration ahead of Earth science and climate science. Trump renewed his focus on space exploration last week during his State of the Union speech, stating, “We will plant the American flag on the planet Mars and even far beyond.”

NASA has been a world leader in climate research, flying Earth-monitoring satellites, making airborne and terrestrial environmental measurements, and creating sophisticated climate models. Trump’s rejection of climate science—he has repeatedly referred to climate change as a “scam”—implies that NASA’s mission in climate research may be severely curtailed under his presidency.

Climate Research Under Threat

Outside of NASA, Trump’s policies have resulted in mass layoffs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the nation’s other large climate agency. Dozens of NOAA workers have already been let go, with more layoffs expected in the weeks ahead.

The restructuring at NASA indicates a possible shift in priorities, with renewed focus on human exploration missions as opposed to scientific studies. Although the long-term vision of the agency is unclear, the recent developments point out the increasing rift between space exploration and Earth-centric scientific programs within the U.S. government.