How NASA Is Shutting Down (Update)

Message from the Acting Administrator – Government Shutdown Impacts to NASA
“The categorization of employees and whether or not someone is furloughed is not a reflection on the quality of their work, nor of their importance to our agency. It is merely a reflection of the legal requirements under which we must operate during a shutdown. Tomorrow, look for an email update from Human Capital Management Assistant Administrator Bob Gibbs that provides additional information for you, outlines steps being taken for an orderly closeout of your activities, and where to find additional information regarding the shutdown until a funding measure is passed by Congress and signed by the President.”
NASA ARC Internal Memo: Informal Notice of Employee Furlough Status – Non Excepted
“Annual funding for the Government will expire at midnight on January 19, 2018. In the event no further agreement is reached to fund Federal agencies, Federal departments and agencies will not be permitted to incur further financial obligations performing activities funded by annual appropriations, except those related to the orderly suspension of operations or performance of excepted activities. This means that employees who do not perform activities excepted by law will be furloughed and unable to work. Our contingency plan assumes that International Space Station (ISS) activities will continue to protect the lives of the crew members on orbit and the safety and security of the ISS. Existing satellite missions in operation also will continue to protect the satellites and the data being collected. In addition, other activities involving protection of life and property will continue. All other Agency activities not determined to be legally exempt will stop.”
NASA Just Shut Down. What If An Asteroid Comes?, Buzzfeed
“If an asteroid is headed toward Earth and NASA is shut down, who will astronomers call to issue a warning? The space agency hasn’t quite figured it out yet, but said somebody should be around to answer the phone. “There will be people available should such an incident occur,” NASA’s Bob Jacobs told BuzzFeed News by email. During the 2013 government shutdown, the closure of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Asteroid Warning Twitter feed sparked headlines and concerns about the public not learning about space hazards. A JPL spokesperson told BuzzFeed News late on Friday that it’s unclear whether the Asteroid Watch twitter account will be suspended this time.”