NASA Faces Turmoil as Another Senior Official Departures Amid Concerns Over Agency’s Future

The director of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Makenzie Lystrup, announced her resignation on Monday, effective August 1. This departure brings additional uncertainty regarding NASA’s budget and future, following the resignation of Laurie Leshin from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory just two months earlier. Lystrup has been at the helm of the Maryland-based center since April 2023, overseeing critical NASA missions including the Hubble Space Telescope and the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission.

Lystrup’s resignation comes at a time when NASA is grappling with significant budget cuts and personnel reductions, which have raised concerns about the agency’s ability to fulfill its mission. More than 2,000 senior-level employees are reportedly set to leave as part of efforts to downsize the workforce, with worries mounting over a “brain drain” of essential expertise. Employees at NASA have until the end of the week to accept options for deferred resignations, buyouts, or early retirement packages.

The proposed federal budget for 2026 aims to reduce NASA’s funding by approximately 25%, which could severely impact space science, Earth science, and mission support services. If this budget is approved, it may also lead to the discontinuation of projects such as the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, designed for lunar missions. In response to these proposals, over 280 current and former NASA employees signed a letter to interim administrator Sean Duffy, expressing concerns that the Trump administration’s policies threaten to waste public resources and compromise safety.

The letter describes the ongoing changes as having “catastrophic impacts” on the agency’s workforce, and prioritizing political agendas over scientific advancement. While the reasons for Lystrup’s and Leshin’s departures remain unclear, Lystrup’s internal message indicated confidence in Goddard’s leadership, noting her honor to be part of the agency’s journey. Cynthia Simmons, the center’s deputy director, will step in as acting director in August.