NASA has lost about 500 people via normal attrition as well since Trump took office in January. Counting those losses, NASA's workforce will shrink to about 14,000 by Jan. 9, 2026, when the employees who said yes during the DRP's second phase will come off the rolls, Warner said in the statement.

An international crew is readying for Thursday's planned launch of a NASA mission to the International Space Station after arriving at the Kennedy Space Center.