RIFs at NASA Headquarters Begin

NASA has initiated Reductions-in-Force or RIFs at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. in compliance with a Trump Administration Executive Order.  Two offices and part of another were closed and their employees notified they are being RIFed.

The Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS), the Office of the Chief Scientist, and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Branch of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are being closed. NASA told SpacePolicyOnline.com that 23 employees are affected, although the notice to Congress indicates 19.

On January 20, 2025, the President issued an Executive Order 14151, titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.”  This Executive Order directed that departments and agencies terminate all diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) offices and positions.  On February 11, 2025, the President issued an Executive Order 14210, titled “Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Workforce Optimization Initiative (Workforce Optimization),” which directed that departments and agencies prioritize for reductions in force offices that perform functions not mandated by statute or other law.  In compliance with these Executive Orders, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is closing two offices and eliminating one branch within NASA’s Office of Equal Opportunity.

In compliance with Executive Order 14151, and subsequent guidance from the Office of Personnel Management, NASA has identified a total of four DEIA-specific positions within NASA’s Office of Equal Opportunity, for which NASA has initiated a Reduction in Force (RIF) action with an effective date of April 10, 2025.  This is to notify the Committee of the planned personnel action.  NASA estimates a funding requirement of approximately ~$210K for severance and related costs to execute this RIF action.

In compliance with the Executive Order 14210, and subsequent guidance from the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management, NASA has identified a total of ten positions within NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS) at NASA Headquarters, for which NASA has initiated a RIF action with an effective date of April 10, 2025.  This RIF will abolish the OTPS office at NASA Headquarters but will not affect Chief Technologist positions at NASA Centers.  NASA estimates a funding requirement of approximately ~$630K for severance and related costs to execute this RIF action.

In compliance with the Executive Order 14210, and subsequent guidance from the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management, NASA has identified a total of five positions within NASA’s Office of Chief Scientist (OCS) at NASA Headquarters, for which NASA has initiated a RIF action with an effective date of April 10, 2025.  This is to notify the Committee of the planned RIF action and decision to abolish the OCS office.  NASA estimates a funding requirement of approximately ~$330K for severance and related costs to execute this RIF action. — Notice to Congress about RIFs at NASA

In a statement to reporters, NASA said the employees could opt for the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority if eligible, or complete the RIF process.

“To optimize our workforce, and in compliance with an Executive Order, NASA is beginning its phased approach to a reduction in force, known as a RIF. A small number of individuals received notification Monday they are a part of NASA’s RIF. If they’re eligible, those employees may opt to participate in the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority, or VERA, or complete the RIF process.” — NASA statement

The government’s RIF process is administered by the Office of Personnel Management.

In a letter to the NASA workforce, Acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro explained the agency is responding to President Trump’s Executive Order on Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative.

While this will mean making difficult adjustments, we’re viewing this as an opportunity to reshape our workforce, ensuring we are doing what is statutorily required of us, while also providing American citizens with an efficient and effective agency. — Acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro

She added that closing these three offices are actions “occurring in advance of the agency’s RIF and reorganization plan as part of the broader governmentwide restructuring effort,” signalling that this is just the beginning.

OTPS was established in November 2021 within the Office of the NASA Administrator to work collaboratively across NASA and the space community and provide the Administrator with quick turn-around “analytic, strategic, and decisional insights.” Bhavya Lal was the first head of OTPS.  She left NASA in 2023 and was succeeded by Charity Weeden.

The office includes NASA’s Chief Technologist and Chief Economist. A. C. Charania has been the agency’s Chief Technologist since January 2023. The notice to Congress said the Chief Technologist positions at NASA centers are not affected by this action. Akhil Rao is the acting Chief Economist following the departure of Alex McDonald on December 31, 2024.

Lal told SpacePolicyOnline.com today that OTPS’s elimination is unfortunate. “This elimination will hamstring the incoming administrator, who would be left without experts who have a holistic understanding of economic, technology, policy, and geopolitical challenges of space exploration.”  OTPS “dug deep” into Artemis and the broader Moon-to-Mars strategy ensuring it was “supported by solid economic and policy insights.” She cited evaulating the economics of orbital debris remediation, examining the competitive geopolitical landscape, and considering societal and ethical dimensions of space to ensure “thoughtful consideration of its long-term impacts” as other highlights and urged NASA “to continue investing in independent, economic-driven, analytic and future-oriented analysis.”

The Office of Chief Scientist was established in 1982, but was closed from 2005-2011. Climate scientist Kate Calvin became NASA’s Chief Scientist in 2022. Reporting directly to the NASA Administrator, the office coordinates across all of NASA’s science disciplines and with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and other government agencies.

Actions taken against Diversity, Equity and Inclusion activities throughout the government, including NASA, began just two days after Trump’s inauguration. Petro sent a letter that day, drafted by OPM, announcing the end of all DEI efforts in the agency.

 

This article has been updated.