As the U.S. federal government entered a shutdown at 12:01 a.m. ET on October 1, NASA has suspended most of its routine operations, furloughed the majority of its workforce, and shifted into a limited “excepted” mode of activity to maintain mission-critical systems.
Massive Furloughs Across the Agency
According to NASA’s internal continuity plan, of the agency’s 18,218 civil servants, approximately 15,094 employees have been furloughed, leaving only about 3,100 staffers designated as “excepted” to carry out essential tasks. Those excepted personnel are focused on preserving life or property, supporting ongoing launches, satellite operations, and maintaining the International Space Station (ISS).
NASA issued a shutdown memorandum instructing that non-excepted employees cease all regular activities, cleanly close out tasks, and perform minimal “orderly shutdown” procedures — often expected to take up to half a day.
What Continues — and What Stops
Under the agency’s Contingency Plan, operations that directly protect human life or avoid damage to government property will continue. These include:
- ISS operations and ground control
- Satellite operations deemed essential
- Launch and processing of hardware already in critical paths
- Support of Artemis lunar programs aligned with presidential priorities
However, a broad array of public-facing, research, and educational work has halted:
- NASA visitor centers, tours, and public outreach suspended
- Many ongoing research projects will be paused unless they fall under “priority” status
- NASA’s website and communications may be limited or interrupted during the shutdown
Allegations of Preemptive Budget Implementation
The shutdown comes against a backdrop of sharp debate over NASA’s funding. A report released by Democratic staff on the Senate Commerce Committee accused NASA—and the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB)—of beginning to implement proposed cuts for Fiscal Year 2026 even before Congressional approval. The report argues such actions violate constitutional budgeting procedures.
NASA leadership strongly denied the allegations, asserting that all work is being conducted under lawfully appropriated funds and that safety will never be compromised. Despite this, tensions persist between the agency, Congress, and White House over control of NASA’s budget and mission direction.
Risks and Concerns for Science and Programs
Science observers warn this shutdown is particularly damaging. Many grants, mission timelines, and research efforts will stall. Some believe this shutdown differs from past ones, because the administration has signaled intention to use it as leverage to shrink government operations—potentially targeting science agencies for cuts.
The Artemis lunar program, which seeks to return humans to the Moon and eventually Mars, is being treated as a priority, and officials expect work on it to continue despite the shutdown. Still, delays may ripple across schedules, as critical tasks pile up once normal operations resume.
What Happens Next?
The shutdown will last until Congress passes new appropriation bills or a temporary funding measure. During the shutdown, NASA employees will not record regular work hours (except for excepted or shutdown operations) and will be recalled once funding is restored. Back pay for furloughed employees is typically granted retroactively when the lapse ends.
For now, NASA remains in a holding pattern, with much of its scientific and educational work on pause, its workforce largely idle, and the future of its missions dependent on the outcome of Congressional negotiations.
