Maryland Digital News > Blog > SCIENCE > Thousands of NASA employees to bid farewell to the NASA they knew | by Ethan Siegel | Starts With A Bang! | Oct, 2025
In July of 1969, humanity took our first steps on the surface of another world: the Moon. This was the crowning achievement of NASA and the space program in the 1960s, representing a global victory for science and human achievement. Now, in 2025, it’s clear that the new direction the country is headed will include a very different set of priorities. (Credit: NASA/Apollo 11/Neil Armstrong)
As October begins, thousands of longtime NASA employees are leaving the agency. 4000+ will exit by January 9, 2026, changing NASA forever.
For the past 60+ years, the name NASA has been synonymous with humanity’s vision to dream about horizons far beyond the bounds of our terrestrial worries. NASA was the first agency in history to not only bring humans to the Moon, but to:
along with so many other accomplishments.
Perhaps most importantly, NASA gave hope to the entire world. In addition to its endeavors in spaceflight, NASA brought to us the idea of space exploration, and using a presence in space to better understand the Universe around us: the Earth, the Sun, the Solar System, and the greater…
