Janet Petro NASA Update 21 February 2025

“About 5% of NASA’s workforce accepted the resignation offer, and we are supporting their transition to administrative leave. Many will start that leave this week, while a few will continue to wrap up their duties in the coming weeks. Additionally, per the email from the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer on Jan. 29, the agency expects all employees to report full-time in-person to a NASA center or facility by Feb. 28. I have approved some time-limited exceptions to the in-person requirement; employees with approved exceptions will receive further details from their leadership.” Full memo below

Update – Feb. 21, 2025

As we move through February, I want to take a moment to recognize your dedication and the work that keeps NASA moving forward.

This week, we completed an exciting milestone – stacking of the SLS (Space Launch System) twin solid rocket boosters for Artemis II at Kennedy, bringing us one step closer to launch.

Looking ahead, we have a busy couple of weeks. Next week, we’re set to launch SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer), PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere), and the Intuitive Machines – 2 (IM-2) mission. The following week, we won’t just land on the Moon once – we’ll do it twice, with Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission One and IM-2.

Soon after, we’ll send our Crew-10 astronauts to the International Space Station for their rotational mission, while preparing to bring Crew-9 – Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Nick Hague, and Aleksandr Gorbunov – back home. Each of these missions represents exciting and inspirational steps forward in our understanding of the universe, our ability to operate in low Earth orbit and on the Moon, and our commitment to sustaining and furthering human presence in space – all made possible by you.

I recognize the Executive Orders are top of mind for many of you, and I have a few updates to share. We continue to work as quickly as possible to understand and comply with the guidance and direction provided by the White House and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), specifically for the Deferred Resignation Program, return to in-person work, and probationary employees.

About 5% of NASA’s workforce accepted the resignation offer, and we are supporting their transition to administrative leave. Many will start that leave this week, while a few will continue to wrap up their duties in the coming weeks. Additionally, per the email from the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer on Jan. 29, the agency expects all employees to report full-time in-person to a NASA center or facility by Feb. 28. I have approved some time-limited exceptions to the in-person requirement; employees with approved exceptions will receive further details from their leadership.

Our greatest strength as an agency lies in our people. As outlined in the Executive Order, probationary employees align with our mission, contribute to national security or public safety, or fall under another valid exemption category. After working with OPM and carefully evaluating our workforce and mission requirements, probationary separations will be performance-based or voluntary in accordance with agency policy. We remain committed to supporting our workforce and ensuring our agency stays strong and ready to meet the challenges ahead, while simultaneously continuing to monitor all employee performance, ensuring American citizens have an excellent and efficient workforce at NASA.

NASA operates at its best when we stay focused – on our mission, our people, and our purpose. Thank you for the role you play in making that happen.

Embrace the Challenge,

Janet