Boeing expects to lay off hundreds of workers on its SLS moon rocket programme, fuelling speculation that NASA’s marquee space exploration initiative is poised for a shake-up under a second Donald Trump administration.
The US aerospace company cited revisions to NASA’s Artemis programme and cost expectations in a brief statement that cited the potential for roughly 400 fewer positions by April.
“We are working with our customer and seeking opportunities to redeploy employees across our company to minimise job losses and retain our talented teammates,” a Boeing spokesperson said by email on Friday.
The exact number of jobs impacted hasn’t been determined, though 400 positions amounts to more than one-third of the staff assigned to the Space Launch System programme.
Boeing’s future in space has been in question as NASA undergoes a leadership change under President Trump and close adviser Elon Musk, the SpaceX chief who’s been given unprecedented oversight power.
The aerospace manufacturer is culling thousands of jobs and paring its holdings under new CEO Kelly Ortberg.
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The Artemis programme was officially formed under Trump’s first administration, after he signed a policy directive to send humans back to the moon for the first time since the Apollo programme ended more than a half century ago. The programme has been beset for years by cost overruns, technical problems and a complicated mission plan, though it supports thousands of jobs across the US.
In November 2022, the SLS rocket made its launch debut after more than a decade of development, sending an uncrewed capsule around the moon as part of the first major test flight for the Artemis campaign. The rocket has come under repeated criticism for its delays and ballooning budget, which is expected to cost as much as US$23.8 billion ($32.21 billion) through 2025.
A NASA spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Trump has hinted at his desire to send astronauts to Mars in recent years. He has also forged a close relationship with Musk, who founded SpaceX with the goal of starting a settlement on the Red Planet and is developing a powerful new rocket to get there.
“We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars,” Trump said at his inauguration.
The SLS layoff announcement comes about a week after Boeing unveiled a leadership change on its Starliner astronaut capsule. The programme has racked up more than US$2 billion in cost overruns after a string of setbacks, including a botched June test flight that left two US astronauts stuck at the International Space Station.
