(Originally posted 30 Sep 2025) To The NASA Family: Selfish, shortsighted power brokers are toying with America’s technological leadership in a game of brinksmanship. People suffer as a result. It is people who enable science agencies and research organizations to discover and explore the unknown. From subatomic structure and the chemistry of life – to the structure of the universe and the tools to explore it – NASA is singular in its ability to explore existence at every known scale of time and cosmic organization. More below

Keith’s note: Last week I posted some updates on the Space Shuttle Discovery relocation drama. I just got an update from the KeepTheShuttle folks about the attempt by Texas senators to take Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian and move it Houston – because they can. Update below.

Keith’s note: There’s a big space space science thing on Capitol Hill today. No media were allowed – at least not until I got a message rather late last night saying that there was going to be an impromptu media event. But I did not get this update from the Planetary Society – since they simply refuse to put me on any mailing list – or contact me. Whatever. I am just a little fish. Rather, I got the media note from a sponsoring organization who told me that they had just gotten it from Planetary Society. So much for making sure that this whole save space science thing gets maximal media exposure. And if Planetary Society does not like you – oh well. Planetary Society does cool stuff but their leadership often behaves like a bunch of snowflakes and they ignore anything wherein they are not the biggest pony in the parade. Many of the participating organizations did little – if anything – to promote this event. BUT – to all of you who showed up: massive congratulations are in order. Each one of you represented thousands of others who could not participate. Alas, one-off events with no follow-up evaporate very fast – especially with fast news cycles and vastly more important societal and political issues bombarding us. FWIW I just tweeted this. Did I forget anything?

• The space science crowd does not talk about human spaceflight – droids are better
• The human spaceflight crowd simply says they “do some science” after they land – and photo ops
• Commercial space companies think they can do everything NASA does – better
• Science & human space flight folks are wary of commercial space – since everything is “payload”
• Outside the space bubble no one seems to care – since they have growing rent and food concerns
• True explorers sit back and watch in frustration.

Keith’s note: Things are moving fast here in Washington DC. Chaos reigns. The President quasi-communicates via social media. With a shutdown that shows no indication of being resolved, the White House has explicitly stated that they are moving ahead with plans to lay off thousands of employees across the Federal government. Every agency has provided their plans according to the White House. Administration sources say that the layoffs could start as early as Friday morning. The President overtly targets “Democrat Agencies” for these layoffs. So, if you are looking for answers – what do I know? I guess it all comes down to whether the Administration considers NASA – or some part thereof – to be a “Democrat Agency”. Or not. All I can suggest is to hang on and keep the dream alive. Ad Astra. None of you deserve this.

Keith’s note: This was sent out to NASA employees by Stephen Shinn Acting NASA Chief Financial Officer: “A funding lapse will result in certain government activities ceasing due to a lack of appropriated funding. In addition, designated pre-notified employees of this agency would be temporarily furloughed. P.L. 116-1 would apply.” Full memo below

Keith’s note: In a joint 670/690 Helio/Planetary division meeting today with over 230 attendees Deputy Director Gina Dibraccio said that GSFC has been instructed by management to hold back on meetings with staff so the information does not end up on NASAWatch and elsewhere. When asked who told her that she responded “I am not going to answer that”. She also said “there will be no re-org” at GSFC. Staff were directed to join in an on-site meeting tomorrow (Wed) at 11:00 am EDT even if there is a shutdown to give guidance on the shutdown.

Keith’s note: the following report was issued today: “The Destruction of NASA’s Mission” Whistleblowers reveal OMB’s Unconstitutional Plot to Gut the Agency – U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member Full report . — Excerpt below.

Keith’s note: snapshots of where things lie. It is dynamic and will change three times before lunch time today.

• “Trump’s shutdown plans: Mass layoffs, deregulation, military deployments“, Washington Post: “If Congress fails to fund the government next week, the White House is preparing for a shutdown that would reflect the purest version of President Donald Trump’s vision for the federal government, guided by White House budget director Russell Vought, an architect of the controversial Project 2025 playbook for Trump’s second term.”
• “Federal workers brace for potential government shutdown, mass layoff“, CNN: “This employee said that as of Thursday afternoon, they had not received any information from agency leadership acknowledging the possible shutdown. Another source said there similarly hasn’t been any agency-wide guidance circulated within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, which saw mass DOGE firings followed by hundreds of re-hirings. “We are hearing very little from leadership,” the NOAA source said. And regarding potential layoffs, “we are keeping an anxious ear to the ground.”

Keith’s note: According to Politico (and other sources as well): “White House tells agencies to prepare for mass layoffs if government shuts down”: “In the memo, OMB told agencies to identify programs, projects and activities where discretionary funding will lapse on Oct. 1 and no alternative funding source is available. For those areas, OMB directed agencies to begin drafting RIF plans that would go beyond standard furloughs, permanently eliminating jobs in programs not consistent with President Donald Trump’s priorities in the event of a shutdown.“ These are the contingency layoff, shutdown, and cancellation plans NASA HQ is ready to implement. They haven’t told you about this, have they? They use clever code words to deny that anything bad is in store. Now this memo is out. Will NASA comment on what might begin to happen at midnight 30 Sep/1 Oct? Or will things just happen with an email? Ask your management to ask their management. The internal memo can be found below.

Keith’s note: OK so there is no legislation to extend spending until 21 November. Congress is leaving town and will only be back on 30 September – 1 October when it is probably too late to prevent a shutdown. The Presidential Budget Request (PBR) for FY 2026 kicks in and all the scary things that White House and OMB wanted to do to NASA missions and personnel will happen. Of course things could pivot in a new chaotic direction in an hour. So plan accordingly. Update: There is some chatter that the House Appropriations Bill as it frames a NASA budget (which is bad but less bad than PBR by comparison) is what Sean Duffy will be following until there is some clarity on a real budget. BUT this guidance is trickling down inefficiently and those people whose programs and missions – and employment – are nuked by the FY 2026 PBR are still acting as if that worst case scenario is what lies ahead on 1 October 2025. Talk about crushing agency productivity even further. After watching a needlessly capricious mass personnel exodus and incessant byzantine executive order actions by this Administration, no one at NASA really trusts what has become yet one false hope joke after another.