Nearly 4,000 NASA employees have opted to leave under Trump’s Deferred Resignation Program amid leadership shifts, budget cuts, and growing concerns about agency direction.

NASA is bracing for one of the largest staffing reductions in its history, with nearly 4,000 employees preparing to exit under a federal downsizing initiative led by the Trump administration .

About 3,870 employees have applied to depart NASA over two rounds through the Trump administration's deferred resignation program, the agency disclosed.

NASA plans a 20% workforce reduction as nearly 4,000 employees opt for voluntary resignations under Trump-era efficiency measures.

A letter of dissent titled "The Voyager Declaration," with hundreds of signatures from current and former NASA employees, said: "Thousands of NASA civil servant employees have already been terminated, resigned, or retired early, taking with them highly specialized, irreplaceable knowledge crucial to carrying out NASA's mission."

NASA Faces Major Talent Exodus as 3,870 Staff Opt for Voluntary Resignation - Nearly 3,870 NASA employees have opted for voluntary resignation as part of a federal workforce

In a sweeping move under the Trump administration’s directive to streamline federal agencies, NASA is set to lose nearly 3,870 employees through a voluntary resignation programme, raising concerns about talent drain and mission safety.

The departures are playing out as NASA and other government agencies contend with significant cuts to funding and personnel.