Keith’s note: Probation firings at NASA are on pause – but only temporarily. Some sort of suspense date on an action related to this that involves some sort of email notification is still being carried internally with a 21 February due date (see Coming Personnel Actions At NASA). The enhanced, closely-monitored performance mentioned by NASA PAO today of employees is indeed underway – but it is somewhat pointless since everyone at NASA has good performance ratings already. The “pass/fail” part of performance ratings is apparently being discontinued. So … this enhanced review starts with everyone having a gold star. Yay Team. The probationary numbers that OPM has from NASA are not yet complete. 959 names are involved – but only half of them are in work – while the other half are still being completed for submission. Meanwhile, if you are among this number of probationary employees who are over 40 years old, then you apparently get another 30 days to think this over before submitting your paperwork. As always, your mileage may vary, contents may settle during shipping, and this is no way to explore the universe.

Keith’s note: More words from NASA PAO decidedly non-NASA in style: “About 5% of NASA’s workforce accepted the resignation offer in the Deferred Resignation Program. A small subset of that group was probationary employees and will be allowed to enter into the Deferred Resignation Program. After working with OPM and a careful evaluation of our workforce and mission requirements, probationary separations will be performance-based or voluntary in accordance with agency policy. The agency will continue to monitor all employee performances and take swift action as appropriate with any issues, ensuring American citizens have an excellent and efficient workforce at NASA.”

Keith’s note: You folks probably already know this but it bears repeating: more bad news is arriving. NASA managers have to implement orders from the White House and these orders suck big time. No deviation is allowed. These NASA managers are worried sick about this and are trying to protect y’all. But sooner or later it will come to them refusing to carry out orders – and they will be gone too. Speaking as a former NASA employee myself – a child of the Apollo era – the worst outcome would be for all of you – all of us – to forget why we wanted to work for NASA and why it is voted the most popular place in government to work year after year. Y’all made it that special place. No other agency is charted to explore the universe. Not even close. And the people who accept that challenge are what made America the leader in space exploration. You have touched the sun, visited every planet, and now sail across interstellar space. Never forget that. Ad Astra – Keith

Keith’s note: Multiple sources report that some DOGE reps were at NASA Goddard today. They got tours including Roman Space Telescope. UPDATE: sources at GSFC tell me that the individuals at Goddard today were not DOGE, per se. One was from NSpC (National Space Council), one was an advisor to Jared Isaacman, and the last was from Janet Petro’s staff. They toured Roman Space Telescope with Makenzie Lystrup and Mark Clampin. BUT there was internal email circulating at GSFC today stating that DOGE was there for a site visit and included instructions to staff to cooperate – as “mandated by Executive Order.”

Keith’s note: some sage advice from a reader: “I’ve been telling everyone at NASA and elsewhere, download all your personnel records, SF-50s; get all your appraisals and download those; go to any other places like employee express (for NASA and some other agencies) and make sure you download all your Leave and Earnings statements. Also, offload and save any emails that have to do with good performance and anything that you can use later. Once you’re out, you won’t have access to any of these things.”

Keith’s note: Nothing personal against Jim Free but isn’t it odd that he gets to retire smoothly and WH/DOGE allows a personal press release – yet all the NASA people who have been – or will soon be fired – will simply vanish with no mention? Otherwise, thanks for your service Jim (seriously). You are getting out at the right time. Or … were you pushed out? “NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free to Retire After 30 Years Service“

Keith’s note: Update from NASA GRC: “DOGE has come to NASA Glenn. One contractor has been confirmed fired by DOGE. We’re scouring our WiFi and government computers and software for information. We’ve been instructed to answer DOGE employees with only “Yes”, “No”, or to refer them to our division chief. Everyone here is on the edge of their seat with terror and anxiety as you could imagine.”

Keith’s note: NASA PAO sent out a statement with more words than yesterday to talk about the probationary employee terminations – but they still do not have words to describe the impact of these firings: “NASA continues to work as quickly as possible to comply with the guidance and direction provided by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for the Deferred Resignation Program and probationary employees. The agency is in the process of validating hundreds of employees who responded to the deferred resignation offer before the deadline. Some probationary employees have taken the deferred resignation offer and those individuals have been, or will be, on administrative leave by the end of this week. NASA is working with OPM on exemptions for those in the probationary period in mission critical functions.”

Keith’s note: According to NASA sources the next big personnel action has been assigned and has an internal suspense date of 21 Feb 2025. It is the third part of a task titled “OPM: Guidance on Probationary Periods, Administrative Leave, and Details” and is based on OPM guidance. The action office is OCHCO. This is a “follow through on Probationary Email” whatever that means. No one seems to be exactly sure. The first task was “identify all employees on probationary periods” issued by OPM and completed on 24 January 2025. The second was “Follow-up submission (those who completed at other agencies). Follow up action provided in CHCO council call with OPM on 2/3 with a submission date of 2/5/2025. [Note – on 2/4/25, OPM granted NASA extension to 2/7/25] INTERNAL Action for all OICs – Request for Exemptions are due to [redacted] by end of day 2/5” and was completed on 7 Feb 2025. So … something is happening around 21 February i.e. this Friday or maybe next Monday. Details to follow.

Keith’s note: Cheryl Warner at NASA PAO is sending out a statement to news media – but (of course) not to NASAWatch: “NASA is complying with the guidance and direction provided by OPM. It’s premature to discuss the impact to our agency, at this time.” So … NASA fires hundreds of people – because they can – and were ordered to do so – and they knew that they would be doing so for weeks – and yet they cannot say what the impact will be on the agency. I’m so happy as a taxpayer to see all this detailed forethought being put into this downsizing activity.

Keith’s note: some good news out of NASA JSC, NASA GSFC, and NASA MSFC. Sources report that probationary employees at these centers have been exempted from being fired. I also heard that ARC was going to fire up to 50 employees. Unsure of how many people this good news covers – but every job saved is of value to NASA and to the employee’s family.

Keith’s note: I just spoke with Bloomberg Radio/Television about NASA layoffs, the future of the agency, and Jared Isaacman. [Audio]

Keith’s note: Multiple NASA centers will be announcing probationary employee “terminations” on Tuesday as well. A quick look at the news will show that this is happening across the entire Federal government. And this is just the pre-game show, folks. There is still a RIF to look forward to. As for the contractor community – things will probably suck even more.

Keith’s note: All probationary employees at NASA Ames will be sent email termination notices next Tuesday, 18 February 2025.

As we head into the long weekend, I want to take a moment to recognize President’s Day – a chance to reflect on the principles of leadership, service, and the pursuit of ambitious goals that move our nation forward. Those same principles fuel our work at NASA, whether it’s delivering science results, preparing for our next mission, or supporting each other. Thank you for your continued dedication to our mission. A few important updates for this week:

Keith’s note: the AI mapping of NASA management and employee structure has started at DOGE. This basic structure is online at DOGE now. Just follow the management tree and you will see that they are mapping out down to the sub-directorate level. They are already mapping employee age, time employed, and salaries. Knowing the tools that they have access to, their raw computer power, and unfettered access, I am certain that by the time they are done they will know quite a lot. And they will not necessarily want to openly share that data – or tell employees what individual information they have. Given the lack of obvious guard rails, this information may well involve various things that the government is not supposed to track – personally identifiable info like social media postings, and conceivably virtually anything you can already get through a basic commercially accessible ID check. And there will be errors that will only be caught after something illegal or inappropriate has been done with that info.

• Oh yes – this website is already creating stir: according to HuffPost: “The website states in tiny print at the bottom that its database excludes information from U.S. intelligence agencies. But an easy search shows that DOGE’s database provides details on the National Reconnaissance Office, the federal agency that designs, builds and maintains U.S. intelligence satellites. Not only are NRO’s budgets and head counts classified, but the prospect of Musk’s tech team meddling in sensitive personnel information is setting off alarms for some in the intelligence community.”

Keith’s note: A lawsuit has been filed by a group of employee unions in the U.S. District Court in D.C. against the current administration and its appointees regarding ongoing personnel actions.

• “The Unions bring this action to protect the workers they represent from the Executive Branch’s attempts to dismantle the federal government through the mass firings of hundreds of thousands of employees (those who are considered “nonessential” for purposes of a government shutdown and those who are in probationary status) and a pressure campaign on federal workers to quit their jobs through a “deferred resignation program.”
• I am not a lawyer but I find it odd that one of the names of Federal Agency and Department appointees mentioned as being a defendant is “MAKENZIE LYSTRUP, M.D.” For starters she has a Ph.D in astrophysics – not an M.D. Second she is the NASA GSFC Center Director. She does not run NASA. She is told precisely what to do in these personnel matters by NASA HQ. Her direction comes from Janet Petro, the “Acting” Administrator of NASA. Neither of these people are political appointees. Petro is also told precisely what to do – apparently by Darren Bossie, the Trump Administration’s White House liaison to NASA. Just wanted to clear that up, Union folks. Accuracy counts.

Keith’s note: According to The Hill: “A federal judge declined to further pause a federal government buyout program, enabling the government to forge ahead with its “Fork in the Road” program. … The decision allows the Trump administration to close a window to accept the deal that the government originally planned to end on Feb. 6. That deadline was extended while O’Toole weighed a bid by unions to temporarily block the Office of Personnel Management from carrying out the program entirely.”

by Mark V. Sykes, Ph.D., J.D. – CEO and Director, Planetary Science Institute

To the American Public and Government Officials:

I would like to share a positive perspective of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility from the context of a science institute. At a time when these principles are being purged by our government from a large swath of federal programs, you should know they actually advance science, thereby advancing the interests of our country, and are important for the workplace. In the course of this, I would also like to take this opportunity to show you that scientists share much of your experiences and backgrounds as people, and something about the process of science itself.