NASA Staff Protest Cuts, Cite Safety and Loss

Nearly 300 current and former NASA employees, including astronauts, have issued an open letter titled 'The Voyager Declaration' protesting President Trump's proposed 24% budget cut and major personnel reductions at NASA. The letter, addressed to acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy, warns that these cuts threaten scientific progress, astronaut safety, national security, and may violate congressional appropriations law. The signatories criticize rapid programmatic changes and express concern over a growing 'culture of organizational silence' that undermines lessons from the Columbia disaster, including potential alterations to NASA's Technical Authority safety system. Both the House and Senate have moved to block most of the proposed cuts. The letter parallels similar protests at the EPA and NIH against Trump administration science policies. The declaration is dedicated to the memory of 17 astronauts who died in service, emphasizing the seriousness of the safety concerns.