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Confusing NASA Furlough Letters

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
October 1, 2025
Filed under , ,
Confusing NASA Furlough Letters
TV/Texting multi-tasking during the furlough — Grok. and NASAWatch.com

Keith’s note: Some NASA employees are getting furlough letters that say: “Your Furlough Status: “You are needed to fulfill excepted activities on an as-needed basis or on-call basis. Therefore, you are being placed in a furlough status effective October 1, 2026, after orderly shutdown activities are completed.” So they are furloughed – but not furloughed – until next year? Do they get paid – if so when? Meanwhile its a good time to binge watch something on Netflix while you wait for a text message alert to do some work on your phone.

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.

4 responses to “Confusing NASA Furlough Letters”

  1. NasaEngr says:
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    Do some work on your phone? If only. Telework is strictly banned and will remain so during the shutdown. In the event of an on-call need employees are directed to drive to work before responding, then they are to immediately drive home without performing any other unauthorized work. It’s nuts.

    • sad_engineer says:
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      It is truly insane. You’re excepted bc we can’t lose momentum, but on-call. But DO NOT WAIT on a call. Come into work, every day, like nothing is different. ONLY work excepted tasks, though and check into zero interest loans at the credit union to keep a roof over your head and food on the table.

      Are we great again, yet?

  2. Donald Pennino says:
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    Only a matter of time before space program is entirely privatized. Not a bad thing actually . NASA completed its goal over last 6 decades , now it is time for a new era.

    • Keith Cowing says:
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      I’m sorry but I seem to have missed the fact that “NASA completed its goal over last 6 decades”. I have only been covering NASA non-stop, daily, for three decades – so I might have missed a few things – but not that.

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