Exodus: The shrinking federal space workforce

In 2025, the federal space workforce experienced a significant reduction, with over 322,000 civil servants leaving their positions voluntarily or being dismissed from a total workforce of approximately 2.4 million. This resulted in a 13% decrease in staffing, marking the largest single-year drop in the federal workforce. The implications of this exodus are particularly pronounced within NASA, which has reported a loss of about 20% of its civil servant workforce in the past year. In response to this staffing crisis, NASA's administrator has announced plans to bolster the agency's workforce. The strategy includes a focus on bringing more expertise in-house, which indicates a shift away from heavy reliance on contractors. This move aims to enhance the agency's capabilities and ensure that it can effectively meet its mission objectives without depending excessively on external resources. The reduction in the federal space workforce and the specific challenges faced by NASA highlight the ongoing issues within the sector. As the agency seeks to rebuild its civil servant ranks, it is also addressing the need for a more sustainable workforce model that can adapt to the evolving demands of space exploration and research. The situation underscores the importance of maintaining a robust and skilled workforce in the federal space sector to support future initiatives.