Keith’s note: If you have been through a typical NASA design review then you know that words have meaning. As noted the other day (see NASA Email: Upcoming Second Formal Furlough Notice) NASA folks are getting those new 30 day furlough notices. There is a significant difference in language from round 1 and round 2. The first round letter says you “WILL be receiving retroactive pay …” In the second letter it says “IF you receive retroactive pay”. “Will” and “If” are not the same thing. In other words there is some doubt that everyone will get retroactive pay – right? You know this because NASA has an army of crack lawyers (who are all currently on furlough) who read these words very, very carefully – and always say what they mean and mean what they say, right? Sounds like someone may be slow rolling people out of retroactive pay. Exact text excerpts below.

Keith’s note: Has anyone heard NASA’s part-time leader Sean Duffy recently reach out, motivate his NASA workforce, seek out shutdown, furlough, RIF, layoff, concerns – or otherwise show visible, enduring support for their hardship? Or does DOT get all of his attention? Just wondering.

Keith’s Update: see “Is NASA Pulling Back On Retroactive Pay?“ Keith’s note: the following email “Shutdown furlough: Upcoming second formal furlough notice and additional information” was sent to everyone at NASA today. it opens with “When a lapse in appropriations exceeds 30 days, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regulations require agencies to treat it as a new formal furlough and issue a second formal furlough notice.” Full message below.

Keith’s note: Employees at NASA Wallops Flight Facility under the Range Operations Contract II (ROC II) received the below email from contract management late Wednesday afternoon. Note: Charge codes, CUI information, emails etc. have been removed. Memo excerpt below.

Keith’s note: Here’s how you take a space agency that has visited every planet in our star system, touched our sun, sent humans to another world, and ventured into interstellar space – and dial it down from >10 to <.01 – in a day or so. Earlier post: this memo was issued by the NASA Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) regarding “Please review your Formal Shutdown Furlough Notice carefully. If you have questions on your status, please consult with your supervisor.” Full memo below

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.

Keith’s note: NASA posted NASA Continuity of Appropriations Plan (PDF) effective 29 September 2025 saying “Pursuant to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-11, Section 124, NASA is hereby submitting a revised contingency plan, superseding the plan dated August 1, 2023. The purpose of this plan is to ensure NASA can perform an orderly shutdown of activities in the event of a lapse in appropriations.”

Keith’s note: this memo “Notification to all employees on furlough status” was issued across NASA to all employees. Full memo below

Statement by the President “NASA will shut down almost entirely, but Mission Control will remain open to support the astronauts serving on the Space Station.” NASA Planning for a Lapse in Appropriations Update, NASA Memo “If a FY 2014 continuing resolution is not passed before 12:01 AM on October 1, NASA can only engage in activities related to the orderly shutdown of operations and performance of excepted activities. As a […]

NASA Internal Memo: Planning for Potential Lapse in Appropriations “However, prudent management requires that we be prepared for all contingencies, including the possibility that a lapse could occur at the end of the month. A lapse would mean that a number of government activities would cease due to a lack of appropriated funding. It would also mean that a number of employees would be temporarily furloughed. To prepare for this […]