Keith’s note: The other day I tweeted that “In the @NASAKennedy town hall yesterday KSC Center Director and former Acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro said that it was that DOGE and the Administration who told her to consider firing probationary employees ‘because that’s an easy way to cut down the work force’.” NASA PAO has told me that Janet Petro has “worked to ensure the continuity of the Pathways intern program” and I corrected that tweet. However I am told by iron clad sources that Janet Petro directed NASA Goddard to get rid of all interns, close the cafeteria and the health unit. DOGE was not the source of this direction. Like a lot of recent actions at NASA that involve DOGE, personnel downsizing, budget cuts, and mission cancellations, the real story is somewhere in between and subject to revision. I stand by my sources and yet I will always make corrections when NASA emphatically disputes my reporting.

Last week, President Trump announced Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy will serve as NASA’s next acting administrator. Since then, my focus has been on ensuring a smooth transition. I’m also pleased to share I’ll be returning home to Kennedy Space Center as its center director – rejoining my colleagues and continuing our vital work, hand in hand with our new NASA leadership to propel our ambitious goals.

Keith’s note: Apparently Janet Petro did not ‘Embrace The Challenge’ hard enough when it came to getting people at NASA to quit – thus leading to her replacement – even thought the NASA website says she is still in charge. At least that is what senior NASA leadership tells me. Interim (i.e part time) NASA Administrator (and also Secretary of Transportation) Sean Duffy is a 100% Administration loyalist so he can be expected to carry out (or delegate) whatever actions the White House tells NASA to do – without question. Since Duffy already has a day job, this means that NASA Chief of Staff Brian Hughes is the de facto Administrator. As such NASA is a managerial subsidiary of DOT for the time being. There are plans for Secretary-Administrator Duffy and NASA Deputy Associate Administrator Casey Swails to make some sort of fireside chat video on Friday that will be available to all NASA employees. As such you can expect the budget cutting and personnel deletion to continue at Warp 9.

Keith’s note: this is from NASA PAO “I am honored to have served the President as the acting NASA Administrator for the past 6 months. His decision to appoint Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy as acting Administrator reflects the high priority he places on our agency at this pivotal time. I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with Secretary Duffy—including during Crew-9’s return in the Space Operations Center at NASA Headquarters—and I’m confident in his leadership as we carry forward the President’s ambitious agenda. I look forward to supporting a smooth transition and returning home to Kennedy Space Center as Center Director. At home in Florida, I’ll continue to work hand-in-hand with Secretary Duffy to propel the President’s ambitious goals.” – Janet Petro.

As we approach Independence Day, I recognize this continues to be a time of transition for many across the agency. We’re working through complex changes together, and I want to thank you for the professionalism and dedication you continue to demonstrate in support of our mission.

Thank you to everyone who tuned in for this week’s agency town hall. More than 32,000 of you watched through townhall.nasa.gov – and that doesn’t include those who gathered in auditoriums and conference rooms to watch together. A big thanks to our Office of the Chief Information Officer for putting key measures in place to ensure we stayed online and uninterrupted from start to finish.  Keith’s note: here is the audio from the Town hall event – note that although the topic of RIF was frequently asked, Janet Petro makes zero mention of that word or statements that she and her staff made in this sanitized version of the event. Instead it is all about “voluntary workforce shaping”.

Keith’s note: Janet Petro is a master in the art of not reading the room. Massive budget cuts, draconian personal layoffs, well-liked Administrator nominee bounced for intra-White House political food fights – and yet its all ‘Don’t Worry – Be Happy’ from the 9th floor. Embrace The Challenge y’all.

Keith’s note: Janet Petro just sent out “Fiscal Year 2026 Discretionary Budget Request” – “On Friday, the Trump-Vance Administration released topline details of its fiscal year 2026 budget request, which outlines a focused approach for advancing America’s leadership in space. While this is just the starting point, it’s clear NASA’s role in shaping the future of space exploration remains central to the American story.

This week marked 100 days in President Trump’s Administration – 100 days of pressing forward on bold goals while continuing our tradition of exploring, innovating, and inspiring for the benefit of all. When we take a step back, the progress we’ve made together is clear.

This week brought steady progress across the agency, as teams tackled key milestones in flight testing, propulsion, Artemis prep, and more. It’s a snapshot of how your work continues to push the mission forward, every single day. Here’s some happenings from around the agency: