NASA Considers Eliminating Its Headquarters in Washington D.C. (politico.com)
(Sunday March 23, 2025 @03:34AM (EditorDavid)
from the one-giant-leap dept.)
- Reference: 0176793425
- News link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/03/22/223207/nasa-considers-eliminating-its-headquarters-in-washington-dc
- Source link: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/21/nasa-plan-close-headquarters-00240806
NASA is considering "closing its headquarters and scattering responsibilities among the states," [1]reports Politico , citing two people familiar with the plan. "The proposal could affect up to 2,500 jobs and redistribute critical functions, including who manages space exploration and organizes major science missions."
> While much of the day-to-day work occurs at NASA's 10 centers, the Washington office plays a strategic role in lobbying for the agency's priorities in Congress, ensuring the White House supports its agenda and partnering with foreign countries on critical space projects. Some of the headquarter's offices might remain in Washington, the people said, but it's not clear which ones those would be or who would keep their jobs...
>
> One of the biggest fallouts is the damage it could do to coordination among NASA leadership on pressing issues... It would also limit cooperation with international partners on space, which is often done through embassies in Washington. NASA works with foreign partners on a range of projects, including the International Space Station and returning to the moon. The European Space Agency, for example, plans to provide [2]modules for Gateway , a lunar space station that is central to NASA's Artemis program to land American astronauts back on the moon... The agency also helps coordinate support from foreign nations for the [3]Artemis accords , which set goals for transparency and data sharing — and help create a level of trust in an unregulated part of the universe.
>
> But the reallocation could have some benefits. Such a move would bring headquarters employees closer to the processes they manage. And it would give legislative liaison staff a chance to interact with lawmakers in their districts. "You're probably getting a lot more time with [lawmakers] at the local center or hosting events in the state or district," said Tom Culligan, a longtime space lobbyist,, the space industry lobbyist.
[1] https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/21/nasa-plan-close-headquarters-00240806
[2] https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Exploration/Gateway
[3] https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Artemis-Accords-signed-13Oct2020.pdf?emrc=67dc5058cd741
> While much of the day-to-day work occurs at NASA's 10 centers, the Washington office plays a strategic role in lobbying for the agency's priorities in Congress, ensuring the White House supports its agenda and partnering with foreign countries on critical space projects. Some of the headquarter's offices might remain in Washington, the people said, but it's not clear which ones those would be or who would keep their jobs...
>
> One of the biggest fallouts is the damage it could do to coordination among NASA leadership on pressing issues... It would also limit cooperation with international partners on space, which is often done through embassies in Washington. NASA works with foreign partners on a range of projects, including the International Space Station and returning to the moon. The European Space Agency, for example, plans to provide [2]modules for Gateway , a lunar space station that is central to NASA's Artemis program to land American astronauts back on the moon... The agency also helps coordinate support from foreign nations for the [3]Artemis accords , which set goals for transparency and data sharing — and help create a level of trust in an unregulated part of the universe.
>
> But the reallocation could have some benefits. Such a move would bring headquarters employees closer to the processes they manage. And it would give legislative liaison staff a chance to interact with lawmakers in their districts. "You're probably getting a lot more time with [lawmakers] at the local center or hosting events in the state or district," said Tom Culligan, a longtime space lobbyist,, the space industry lobbyist.
[1] https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/21/nasa-plan-close-headquarters-00240806
[2] https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Exploration/Gateway
[3] https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Artemis-Accords-signed-13Oct2020.pdf?emrc=67dc5058cd741
Two Starship explosions in a row (Score:5, Insightful)
by TheMiddleRoad ( 1153113 )
Kill NASA. Replace it with SpaceX. What could go wrong?
Re: (Score:2)
by echo123 ( 1266692 )
[1]SpaceX Positioned to Secure Billions in New Federal Contracts Under Trump [nytimes.com]
or [2]http://archive.today/NH25Z [archive.today]
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/23/us/politics/spacex-contracts-musk-doge-trump.html
[2] http://archive.today/NH25Z
In other news... (Score:2)
SpaceX Considers Moving Its Headquarters in Washington D.C
We've seen this playbook. We know what will happen (Score:2)
[1]USDA Research Agencies 'Decimated' By Forced Move. Undoing The Damage Won't Be Easy [npr.org]
February 2, 2021
[1] https://www.npr.org/2021/02/02/963207129/usda-research-agencies-decimated-by-forced-move-undoing-the-damage-wont-be-easy
Re: (Score:2)
> [1]USDA Research Agencies 'Decimated' By Forced Move. Undoing The Damage Won't Be Easy [npr.org]
> February 2, 2021
Imagine if Trump really was a Russian asset, and this was not a secret at all. So much so that Trump received explicit instructions emailed from Moscow, followed them, and all of this was reported openly in the press. If that was the situation, how exactly would anything be different than all of Trump's presidential decisions and the consequences that are happening?
[1] https://www.npr.org/2021/02/02/963207129/usda-research-agencies-decimated-by-forced-move-undoing-the-damage-wont-be-easy
Re: (Score:2)
Here's the thing: Trump may well have explicit instructions from Putin, but that isn't really necessary. The bar for being a Russian asset is very low. All you need to do is be a person who uses social media.
Consider: Trump is notorious for spouting bullshit. Just an endless stream constantly falling out of his mouth. But not all of that shit is his own, remember that thing with the Haitian immigrants eating cats and dogs? That didn't come from Trump originally, that came from Twitter. He just read it th
Re: (Score:2)
I very much doubt Trump is a Russian asset, he's far too stupid to function in that role. If the Russians were silly enough to try and recruit him he'd be bragging about it to anyone who would listen: "I'm a Russian asset, the best Russian asset, no-one assets better than me, everyone says I'm the best Russian asset ever". That'd make him a pretty poor asset.
Re: (Score:2)
"SpaceX emphasizes keeping engineering and management closely integrated with factory floor operations. This approach aligns with their philosophy of hands-on problem-solving, rapid iteration, and minimizing disconnects between design, production, and leadership.
Musk has emphasized the importance of avoiding "ivory-tower management" by ensuring that engineering and management are physically and operationally close to the factory environment. This setup fosters direct communication and
Re: (Score:3)
And, arguably, the current crisis at Tesla is because Musk is playing President rather than being "out on the factory floor".
Re: (Score:2)
> And, arguably, the current crisis at Tesla is because Musk is playing President rather than being "out on the factory floor".
I think even Telsa has got to the point where they don't need him on the factory floor, and it would be better for everyone if he went back to SpaceX full time :-(
Or send him into the wilderness for a while like Apple did with Steve. He came back a better person.