NASA begins its DOGE restructuring by firing workers and announcing 3 departments will be shut down

NASA begins its organization restructuring plans.

NASA has officially started its restructuring effort.

The agency will close three departments as part of the Trump administration’s broader goals to reduce the federal workforce, according to an email reviewed by B-17.

Employees at the agency received the email on Monday from acting administrator Janet Petro. The three departments affected are the Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy; the Office of the Chief Scientist; and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility branch of the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity. An agency spokesperson told B-17 that 23 individuals were fired.

Petro said the changes put the agency in compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order to implement the White House DOGE office’s workplace restructuring.

She wrote that Monday marked the beginning of NASA’s reduction in force effort.

“While this will mean making difficult adjustments, we’re viewing this as an opportunity to reshape our workforce, ensuring we are doing what is statutorily required of us, while also providing American citizens with an efficient and effective agency,” Petro wrote in the email.

It’s not clear if all employees in the departments were terminated, or if some might be moved to different areas within NASA.

“A small number of individuals received notification Monday they are a part of NASA’s RIF. If they’re eligible, those employees may opt to participate in the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority, or VERA, or complete the RIF process,” the NASA spokesperson told B-17 in a statement.

Representatives for DOGE and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from B-17.

The latest restructuring plans from NASA follow weeks of changes to the federal workforce. The Trump administration has fired thousands of workers across a range of federal agencies and has cut billions of dollars in federal spending programs. The Office of Personnel Management also instructed all federal agencies to develop reorganization plans by March 13.