Thousands of NASA senior staffers expected to quit after budget slashed

NASA senior staff are being offered the opportunity to leave voluntarily before the axes start swinging, and it seems likely that thousands will take the escape hatch.

The US space agency is facing massive funding cuts that would put it back to pre-Apollo levels of budgets and staffing. A report in Politico based on internal documents says over 2,000 senior staff are planning to leave under the deferred resignation program (DRP), but people within the organization have said that there's no official count on the cuts and won't be until the end of the month.

"There is no set target number for the DRP. This program is a voluntary opportunity available to NASA employees," a spokesperson told The Register.

"NASA remains committed to our mission as we work within a more prioritized budget. We are working closely with the Administration to ensure that America continues to lead ...