NASA
WASHINGTON: NASA announced on Tuesday the dismissal of its chief scientist and several other employees in compliance with an executive order from President Donald Trump. This move is part of a broader effort by the administration that critics say undermines climate change research and reshapes the agency’s priorities.
The first round of layoffs, affecting 23 individuals, includes the elimination of NASA’s Office of the Chief Scientist, previously led by Katherine Calvin. A distinguished climatologist, Calvin has played a key role in contributing to United Nations climate reports and advancing global climate science.
Additionally, she and other U.S. delegates were barred from attending a significant climate science conference in China last month, further signaling the administration’s shift away from climate research initiatives.
NASA spokesperson Cheryl Warner confirmed the layoffs, stating that they are part of a “phased approach to a reduction in force (RIF),” as mandated by an executive order. Employees who qualify may opt for early retirement under the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) or proceed through the RIF process, she added.
Alongside the Office of the Chief Scientist, NASA has also disbanded its Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy, as well as the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Branch. These cuts reflect a broader pattern within the Trump administration, which has been rolling back initiatives related to climate research, diversity efforts, and policy development across federal agencies.
While NASA has so far avoided the deep budget reductions seen in other government entities, reports suggest this may be due to intervention by Jared Isaacman, an e-payments billionaire and SpaceX customer, who was recently nominated by Trump to lead NASA.
Isaacman, who maintains close ties with Elon Musk—Trump’s advisor and advocate for cost-cutting measures—allegedly delayed a planned layoff of around 1,000 NASA employees earlier this year. However, the recent terminations, first reported by NASA Watch based on an internal memo, may indicate a renewed push toward restructuring the agency’s focus.
The dismissals coincide with a broader shift in NASA’s strategic direction. Both Trump and Musk have championed an ambitious human mission to Mars, prioritizing space exploration over Earth-focused scientific research.
In his State of the Union address last week, Trump emphasized this vision, declaring that the United States would “plant the American flag on the planet Mars and even far beyond.”
Despite this shift, NASA remains one of the leading institutions in climate science, operating a fleet of Earth-monitoring satellites, conducting advanced airborne and ground-based climate studies, and developing sophisticated models to analyze global climate patterns.
The agency also provides open-source climate data to scientists worldwide. However, with the administration’s continued hostility toward climate initiatives—Trump has repeatedly dismissed climate change as a “scam” and withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris Agreement for a second time—the future of NASA’s climate research appears increasingly uncertain.
This latest move mirrors similar cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), another crucial federal agency focused on climate research. The Trump administration has already laid off hundreds of NOAA employees, with more reductions expected in the coming months.
As NASA faces these internal changes, concerns are growing within the scientific community about the long-term implications for climate research and policy.
With budget constraints and leadership changes, the agency’s role in studying climate change may be significantly diminished, raising questions about the U.S. government’s commitment to addressing global environmental challenges.
