4000 gone: Inside NASA's brain drain
a day ago
- #budget cuts
- #NASA
- #brain drain
- NASA has lost roughly 4,000 employees (over 20% of the agency) in the past six months due to impending budget cuts.
- Former employees describe the situation as chaotic, with a significant loss of expertise and community, impacting NASA's ability to innovate and lead in space science.
- The departures include senior scientists and next-generation leaders, leading to a cultural and knowledge gap within the agency.
- Morale at NASA is at an all-time low, with many employees uncertain about their future and the agency's direction.
- The proposed budget cuts threaten NASA's global leadership, its plans to return humans to the Moon, and its ability to answer fundamental scientific questions like the existence of life beyond Earth.
- Former employees urge the public to contact their representatives in Congress to oppose the budget cuts and support NASA's mission.
- The damage from the brain drain is described as generational, with recovery expected to take decades.