Unlike many federal agencies that faced massive layoffs this week, NASA temporarily retained its probationary employees, Ars Technica reports.
Currently, the agency has more than 1,000 such employees, which is approximately 6% of the total number of NASA employees. They were threatened with layoffs due to the Donald Trump administration's initiative to reduce staffing levels in federal agencies. NASA petitioned to retain these employees, many of whom are new to the agency or recently promoted to key positions.
Although it is unclear whether this decision applies to all 10 NASA field centers, it is an exception to the large-scale layoffs in other agencies.
Sources familiar with the situation suggest that the suspension of the layoffs may be related to Jared Isaacson, a private astronaut nominated by President Trump to head NASA. Although this information is unconfirmed, it is likely that Isaacson asked for the layoffs to be postponed in order to better assess the situation at the agency and develop a more strategic approach. Mass layoffs of probationary employees are often considered an ineffective tool, as they can lead to the loss of valuable staff.
Despite the temporary relief, the prospect of large-scale cuts in NASA's budget and staff remains real. According to agency sources, field center directors have already been instructed to prepare for "significant" staff reductions in the coming months. The exact extent of the cuts has not yet been determined, and any large-scale layoffs will require congressional approval.