4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

Re:4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred re... by giantg2 on Sunday July 27, 2025 @12:00PM (#44702253)

"Are they 1% as inspiring as what the DoD does with their budget?"

It would be closer to 2%, but we could measure it by engagement. Ask people what their last positive interaction was with NASA vs the military. The military does all sorts of outreach with things like the Blue Angels, stadium flyovers, competitions at fairs, etc. Ask them what NASA has done over the past year vs what the military has done over the past year. Chances are many people couldn't name something NASA achieved in the past year. Would it be at the 2% number? I don't know.

I'm not saying one is better than the other. I think both should look for budget inefficiency, but until those are identified I wouldn't propose budget cuts. But it does seem that the NASA missions could be more inspiring recently.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred re... by lenkite on Sunday July 27, 2025 @02:12PM (#44703273)

Hello,

US Military FY 2024 enacted budget: ≈ $842 billion

NASA FY 2024 enacted budget: ≈ $24.9 billion

That is a ~35x multiplier. By bog-standard logical implication your question answers itself.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred re... by mrobins on Sunday July 27, 2025 @03:41PM (#44704005)

How many people on HN have a James Webb wallpaper?

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Re:4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred re... by freddi333 on Sunday July 27, 2025 @06:05PM (#44705148)

How many people have a fighter jet?

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Re:4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred re... by giantg2 on Sunday July 27, 2025 @06:07PM (#44705154)

I don't think James Webb was launched in the past year. Even so, HN is a tiny percentage of the country and focused on STEM. I would expect the number of people with a James Webb wallpaper nationally to be under 2%.

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Re:4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred re... by Hikikomori on Sunday July 27, 2025 @05:21PM (#44704802)

Clearly NASA should do more stadium flyovers.

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Re:4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred re... by giantg2 on Sunday July 27, 2025 @05:44PM (#44704984)

The point is that most of what NASA does is not something that people are exposed to. Nobody cares about the dozens of small breakthroughs that happen in the years leading up to a mission. Just as nobody cares about engine tech advancements in the planes flying over.

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Re:4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred re... by SalmoShalazar on Sunday July 27, 2025 @11:23PM (#44706926)

I’m sorry but this is asinine. All of the “positive interactions” you listed are literally propaganda events to increase the palatability of the US military and encourage enrolment.

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Re:4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred re... by giantg2 on Sunday July 27, 2025 @11:27PM (#44706940)

Yes, and propaganda to put the public on it's side would benefit NASA in it's budget battles.

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