Artemis HLS Work = Excepted Activity

Keith’s note: according to an email from Heather Hall at NASA MSFC “NASA CFO has approved HLS as an excepted activity. … Given the contingency plan to protect Artemis II, Artemis III and the supply chain for Artemis IV+, HLS interprets the excepted employees to include:” (full email below)

From: Hall, Heather D. (MSFC-LP01)
Sent: Wednesday, October 1, 2025 9:40 AM
To:
Subject: Lapse in Appropriations Information – HLS

We have received word that we will be conducting an orderly shutdown due to a lapse in appropriations.  

NASA CFO has approved HLS as an excepted activity. 

Excepted Activities:

Given the contingency plan to protect Artemis II, Artemis III and the supply chain for Artemis IV+, HLS interprets the excepted employees to include

• All engineering, safety, and program management functions necessary to perform insight/oversight of the HLS providers
• HLS specific offices that are excepted are Program Office, SE&I, SVS, MSM, CrewCo, LFO, LGO, S&MA, HMTA, and the Chief Engineers assigned to HLS
• All assigned procurement functions necessary to process changes and maintain Provider contracts
• All inline work (collaborations and GTAs) and any facility support to maintain testing on behalf of the Providers
• Travel necessary to support the above functions

This work is accepted in order to maintain the national priority of returning Americans to the moon and ensure the safety of the crews that will operate in the HLS.

Questions can be asked during the 10AM All Hands today.

Below you will find important information regarding HLS expectations:

1. You should receive a letter (via email) from NASA telling you what your status is while the agency is shutdown. 

• Full Time = you are expected to report to work as usual
• On-call = you are expected to continue work as you normally would.  For example:  20% HLS, 80% other activities only if excepted for those activities. 
• Not-excepted= you will not work while the government is shut down

2. If you are not-excepted, please look here for information regarding the shutdown:    https://www.nasa.gov/shutdown

3. As we conduct the orderly shutdown:

• please take home your computer 
• Turn off lights in your office
• take home food or any perishable items
• Set out of office on your email to : NASA is currently closed due to a lapse in Government funding.

4. Rules for use of Information Technology (IT) is as follows:

• All Employees: Personally owned IT devices, technology, and applications are prohibited from connecting to any NASA network or system in addition to any network or system that stores or processes NASA data.
• Non-excepted Employees: You may keep your Government-issued mobile devices (e.g., iPhones, Androids, BlackBerrys, laptops, etc.) and may use the devices to conduct orderly shutdown activities. After orderly shutdown activities are completed, non-excepted employees should not use their government-issued IT devices for the duration of the shutdown.
• Excepted Employees (Full-Time, Part-Time, and On-Call): You can keep your Government-issued IT devices turned on during the shutdown.

5. If you are scheduled for travel and/or training for the upcoming week, the following guidance applies:

Travel in support of excepted activities will continue, but at the minimum level needed to support the excepted function; each Center has a senior travel coordinator on call to process travel authorizations.

All other travel scheduled to commence but not confirmed as excepted should be cancelled. If you think a mistake has been made, you should promptly raise the matter with both your supervisor and travel office/CFO, but do not depart on the travel until you have confirmation via the travel office that the travel is approved in support of an excepted activity.

If you are not excepted and already on domestic Temporary Duty (TDY) travel status, you should make reasonable arrangements (e.g., at typically approved – not premium – fares) to promptly return to your home duty station. If you are not excepted and on domestic Extended TDY (ETDY), you have the option to stay in place or make reasonable arrangements for a trip back to your home duty station. But this election is binding; if you change your mind after the orderly shutdown, you will not be reimbursed for any non-excepted travel to or from your ETDY location. In either case, NASA will reimburse the expense of the long-term lodging, but you otherwise will be on furlough status (i.e., without reimbursable Meals & Incidental Expenses (M&IE) per diem or other work-related coverage). Do not cancel long-term leases unless specifically directed to do so.

CI Travel will be available during the furlough to assist employees requiring adjustments to official travel plans. For assistance, please call 1-855-896-7941.

If you are on foreign travel, please report to work or check in by e-mail with your supervisor for further directions. As of today, we are asking all foreign travelers to keep their current plans. If you are furloughed, you will be in an on-call status while overseas (i.e., regularly checking your e-mails for updates and changed directions). If the shutdown is not resolved after a few days, your Center may be recalling you home, but that determination will be made based on a variety of factors, including the anticipated length of the shutdown.

If during the furlough you have questions and don’t know where to get answers, please feel free to reach out to Heather Hall for help.