After receiving an email to each federal employee when asked to make a list of their recent achievements, Elon Musk, CEO of Space X took his social media platform X, To notorne any employee The one who did not respond will be removed. Instead, NASA emphasized that the answer was optional and its leadership would handle the matter.
Two weeks after the collision, the space agency began a ride to spin on the Space X rocket.
This is another indicator, despite the Trump administration and the aggressive pressure to significantly reduce government spending and the federal workforce, which have led to some tense public conflicts, NASA’s space science missions – and the launch of the launch in the United States is a relatively unprecedented, unprecedented.
The space agency survived the mass firing of its probationary employees and the Musk department remained out of the political cross -highs of the government’s performance, which is working to reduce funds in such agencies. National Institute of Health And Environmental Protection Agency.
It has also avoided some stress scobbils with Space XCEO, including the call of Musk Durbate to International Space Station As soon as possible, before the date before 2030.
Nevertheless, solid threats to the position of the space agency are spreading on the horizon, space policy experts say the usual government process includes a potentially important budget cut and staff decline.
“It has a lot of disturbances, a war of highly disturbing, symbolic culture,” said Casey Dareyar, chief of the space policy of Pasadina, which supports space science and research. “But the biggest problem is more cotton than that, will NASA get the money that needs to be done to do what it has been asked to do?”
Space X launches two NASA spacecraft on Tuesday – both parts of the agency Explorer programDesigned to provide repeated flight and funding opportunities for space science missions – on its Falcon 9 rockets.
This included a spacecraft from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Kanada Flintrade that will study it Fast extension during the first splat second of the universe And a private non -profit organization located in Texas and Colorado, a mission at the South West Research Institute, will find the dynamics of the solar wind.
Read more: The new JPL Space Mission tries to open the mystery of ‘inflation’
Despite public clashes, a NASA spokesman said the agency’s relationship with Musk’s company is strong.
The spokesman said in a statement, “NASA is working with partners like Space X to build the economy in the orbit of the land and jump our next giant on the moon and Mars for the benefit of all.” “To date, NASA has invested more than $ 15 billion in Space X for its work under numerous agency contracts.”
Falcon 9 has become one of the most capable and reliable rides in the US place (and unlike Space X Development Starsing RocketIt does not often explode). Most of the rocket success is thanks to NASA for almost two decades of contribution.
Space Agency financed rocket growth in 2006 as part of Press to promote a growing private launch industry Before the retirement of the space shuttle. Two years later, Space X was the first private company to reach space with a liquid fuel rocket, in which Falcon 9 used the Scale Downtown predecessor.
In the years after that, NASA has contracted Space X billions in the shuttle of supply and later, ISS and its astronauts. The start of the far -off science missions from the orbit of the earth; And now, prepare a spacecraft Durbut ISS In 2030 and the starchy rocket to take humans to the moon.
Read more: NASA launched a Europa clipper to see if the icy moon’s life is available or not
Since SpaceX performed well in rocket development, other private launch companies – and NASA themselves struggled to maintain.
In 2014, NASA Boeing awarded 2 4.2 billion and Space X 2.6 billion to produce capsules to launch astronauts in ISS. But when SpaceX has launched 10 missions for ISS with NASA astronauts, Boeing has just arranged a bootchid staff testing flight that has left two US astronauts without a ride to the SPSX. Agreed to take them home.
(Specifically, it included another incident of musk against NASA, which formerly Described the astronauts as “trapped”. Despite the latter insistence that this is a misunderstanding.)
Meanwhile, NASA’s space shuttle successor, Space Launch System, has delayed the cost of billions and delayed over the years. The rocket side boosters and engines were actually likely to cost $ 7 billion during flights and flights. According to, it has increased to minimum.11 billion in 25 years A report From the Inspector General’s NASA office.
Consequent: Over the years, the US space agency has been relying rapidly on Space X and canal to access space.
Then, the Trump administration DOG created – A temporary organization (and not a government department) in the executive office – and Mask was included as a special government employee.
In the first year of its new role, the administration began to dismiss government workers, who are not yet considered a complete employees – including in the federal government. National Park ServiceUS Agency for International Development, and recently, National Peshawar and Environmental Administration.
On February 18, NASA employees made a break for a similar cut, but never came. The agency announced that it had worked with the Office of Personal Management to avoid the firing, and that about 5 % of the manpower had resigned as part of a separate program to reduce the size of the federal manpower.
Instead, the agency launched a decrease in long -term by -books in the staff that must An executive order. Agency, in A document that outline this processIt is stated, that he plans to move forward in a way that “minimize the negative impact on employees and disrupt the agency’s important missions, programs, actions and organizations.”
A NASA spokesman said in a statement that the agency is in partnership with OPM and Dodge to carry out the shortage and there is no specific purpose to reduce it.
In the cabinet meeting, Kasturi said The goal of the Dodge is not “makkar or unfair” and said the temporary organization has no target number. Instead, he “wants to keep everything that is doing what is necessary and is doing it well.”
Nasa Monday. Started Advisory Science and Policy Offices along with 23 employees as well as diversity, equity and joining branch.
Both NASA and JPL confirmed that employees in the JPL, who have been financed by NASA but have been arranged, have been declared exempt from shortage. However, the laboratory is on the desire for federal funding for its missions.
Although, publicly, NASA’s science support has not seen the level of scrutiny or deductions like other science agencies, Congress has immediately condolences on the deadline of the budget on March 14, and, according to the White House, the Republican -controlled chambers are on reducing federal spending.
The implications of NASA’s science programs may be prominent.
In a budget proposal for the 2023 financial year, the director of Trump’s Office of Management and Budget suggested Reducing NASA’s science budget in half – Which goes beyond the previous budget, the agency’s science programs decrease.
In general, NASA’s science budget follows the remaining discretionary budget trends, which do not include mandatory costs such as medical and social security that are managed by the general budget process.
“People love NASA, but in general, NASA’s budget does not meet the trend of non -defense discretion as a whole.” “If that pie grows, NASA’s slice becomes a bit bigger, but if it becomes small, NASA’s slice is not big.”
Read more: Scientists have long urged NASA to find the signs of life near Jupiter. Now it’s happening
When Congress has a severe choice to fund what programs, it is often towards science and technology – and not the human space flight aspect – which looks at the biggest deductions.
Particularly, with mockery to fund their constituencies, with a joke to bring their constituencies, the states that are the home of NASA’s largest human space light centers, such as the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the Johnson Space Center in Texas. There are many science -based centers in more liberal states, such as JPL and Maryland’s Godard Space Flight Center, which runs the Explorer program.
And within the costs of science, these James are a major flagship science mission like the webpace telescope, which lives, while small missions, such as the Explorer program, end on the cutting block.
Big missions often have many advocates across the country who are ready to defend the programs, and if they are canceled, stir in response.
Senate There are still hearing For Trump’s NASA Administrator Chen, a muscle and Space X Business Partner, Gerard Ishaqman, who rode on the Falcon 9 rocket in 2021, as part of the first space mission with all -fluid staff.
SpaceX did not respond to the comment request.
This story originally appeared Los Angeles Times.
