NASA is facing a major brain drain, with close to 4,000 employees—over 20% of its workforce—opting to leave under a Trump-era "deferred resignation" program. While the exact reasons for the departures aren’t spelled out here, it’s a significant hit to an agency already stretched thin on ambitious projects like Artemis and Mars exploration.

Editor’s Note: Losing this many experienced people isn’t just about empty desks—it could slow down critical missions, delay research, and even weaken NASA’s ability to innovate. For a agency that relies on deep expertise, this kind of exodus raises real questions about how smoothly things will run in the years ahead. Whether it’s due to policy clashes, morale issues, or something else, the fallout could ripple through space exploration for a long time.

Spain is stepping in with a hefty €400 million lifeline to rescue the struggling Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project, just as former U.S. President Donald Trump suggested scrapping it entirely. The Spanish offer could breathe new life into the ambitious astronomy project, which has faced delays, funding woes, and protests over its planned location in Hawaii.

Just a few years after scientists made history by detecting gravitational waves—cosmic ripples that confirmed Einstein’s century-old predictions—funding for this revolutionary field is on the chopping block. Budget cuts could halt progress in understanding black holes, neutron stars, and the very fabric of the universe, leaving researchers scrambling to keep their detectors running.

Right now, NASA is in charge of spotting and deflecting asteroids that could threaten Earth—but there’s a growing debate over whether the military’s Space Force should take the reins instead. Some argue the Space Force is better equipped for rapid response, while others worry about militarizing planetary defense.

NASA is in hot water as employees and lawmakers push back against major budget cuts that threaten key science programs. Workers are sounding the alarm that these cuts are already doing serious damage, potentially jeopardizing the U.S.'s role in space exploration. Meanwhile, Congress is clashing with NASA leadership over the agency's direction.