The Trump administration is eliminating its chief scientists and other roles as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to return the staff at the Washington headquarters of the NASA agency.
These deductions affected around 20 employees in NASA, including Catrine Calvin, Chief Scientists and Climate Science. The last day of work for Dr. Calvin and other staff members will be on April 10.
It can emphasize the harbinger of deep deductions in NASA’s science missions and the human space light, especially on Mars. Addressing President Trump’s Congress last week, he said, “We are going to take humanity into space and make American flags on the planet Mars and even far ahead.”
Mr Trump did not give astronauts a timeline to reach the Red Planet, and during an interview on Fox News on Sunday, he said it was not a top priority. “Is this the first number in my hit list?” He said. “No. It’s not really. “
“This will be a great success,” he added.
The administration on Monday sent a notice to the Congress saying that NASA was eliminating the chief scientist and the office of technology, policy and strategy.
“This is short and extremely worrying,” said Zoo Lofgreen, a California Democrat Zoo Lofgreen and Science, Space and Technology House Committee. “Trump’s attack on science is underway. If you wanted a playbook about how to lose China in every technical race, this is.
Bhuya Lal, who served as the Associate Administrator of Technology, Policy and Strategy at the time of the office in 2021, said the office aims to provide “strict, quick turns, data -driven and objective analysis” to the decision makers in the NASA and the White House.
These matters include the economy of removing space debris and ruling future activities on the moon. Dr. Lal said the office’s work was “not just about reaching the moon.” “It was about laying the foundation for a sustainable lunar search.”
“The office also made sure that the pressure for NASA’s innovation is balanced with considering its long -term effects,” he said.
Eliminating positions include the agency’s chief technologist and chief economist, who was part of the office of technology, policy and strategy. The notice states that the post of chief technician at NASA centers such as the Johnson Space Center in Houston and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida is not affected.
The agency is also cutting a number of positions on diversity, equality and participation in its equivalent opportunity office.
The notice states that NASA estimates that separation costs will be about $ 1.2 million.
“To improve our workforce and comply with an executive order, NASA has begun its phased outlook to reduce the power known as an RIF,” NASA spokesman, Cheril Wheeler, said in an email. “On Monday, very few people received information that they were part of NASA’s RIF.”
Ms Wheeler said that eligible employees can choose initial retirement.
Democratic House staff members said they feared deep deductions in NASA.
Last week, the planet Society, a non -profit that promotes space search, The alarm picked up That the Trump administration can consider NASA’s science activities to reduce the budget by half.
Casey Direer, the chief of the space policy in the society, said in an email, the announcement of the termination of jobs on Monday is more symbolic, and certainly have a lower effect than some other numbers that we are listening to for budget or more RIFS. “
Dr. Calvin was appointed as NASA chief scientist in January 2022. Since 2008, she has been a researcher at the Joint Global Change Research Institute of the Pacific North West National Laboratory in 2023, in 2023, providing them with international information internationally internationally, internationally providing international information internationally on climate change.
The role of the chief scientist is to advise NASA administrator and other top officials on strategic planning. Doctors are Calvin Agency 11th Chief Scientists since 1982. Earlier, the post was terminated in 2005 during George W. Bush’s presidency and was re -made in 2011 when Barack Obama was president.
The status of the Chief Scientists is separated from the Associate Administrator who runs NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Nicola Fox.
