Kennedy Space Center to lose thousands of space jobs

William Atkins
Friday, 29 February 2008 19:12

Science - Space

Griffin did state that no such large layoffs are expected at other NASA centers.

The Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, and the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama are expected to have only minor layoffs.

No reductions in employment are expected at the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.

The Florida Economic Development Commission is estimating that up to 3,500 people in Florida could lose their jobs during the transition of the shuttle to the Orion spacecraft.

The major space shuttle contractor for NASA United Space Alliance (USA), based in Houston, Texas, estimates that half of its workforce could be cut after the shuttle missions are completed. This amount could be as great as 5,000 of its employees in its support to NASA in four states.

USA provides contractor employees for NASA in Texas (JSC), Florida (KSC), Alabama (Huntsville), and the Washington, D.C. (NASA headquarters) area.

The company employs about 10,000 employees. USA is owned jointly by The Boeing Company and Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Griffin announced that a series of Congressional announcement will be forthcoming every six months beginning in the end of March 2008 with respect to layoffs and general employment impacts at all of NASA’s ten field cienters.