This is some sick, unsafe, shit.
Back in April Trump called for a 24% cut in the NASA budget. This would have cut a number of programs including Gateway, a station around the Moon. Employees have spent 5 years working on this project and although it is not cancelled, it is not Gateway. Instead the project is being reformed into two separate projects, converting the living module to a lunar habitat and sending the power unit on a trip to Mars. Along with these “cancellations” comes cuts to NASA employees.
This cut in funding and the failed DOGE cuts resulted in the loss of many NASA jobs but just months later those jobs are now being filled by contractors. Contractor jobs are being converted to Civil Service jobs but the conversion comes with a catch. On the application applicants must pledge loyalty to Trump’s executive orders. Here is the specific question:
NASA is a different kind of workforce. We stress safety because there is little room for error. We cannot be forced or coerced to making decisions that may cause a safety issue. If we see something we say something without fear of retaliation. If Trump gave an executive order to land on the moon before he is out of office and NASA employees believe the schedule would require cutting corners and would be unsafe they are required to speak up and possibly get fired for doing so. Don’t think this won’t happen.
BTW landing on the Moon safely is not going to happen before Trump is impeached.
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This maneuver is outlined in Project 2025, and is not a surprise. That said, it’s still outrageous and I feel yet another lawsuit in the works. Working with contractors is one of Trump’s favorite grifts, (see Reflecting Pond for illustrations) and is very dicey when life or death decisions are involved. I’m sorry that people are being put in such an untenable position; NASA is a shining star, representing what American ingenuity, determination and dreams can accomplish.
A military veteran with 22 yrs of service has become a member of my family in recent years. They’ve repeated this to me multiple times, regarding their loyalty to a party or to a partisan effort: The military oath is to the Constitution. While POTUS is Commander-in-Chief, the military oath is NOT to the person or their party. It’s to the highest govt. OFFICE in the country.