Current Science Report: March 2025

Hey there, welcome to my blog Mufawad. In this monthly writeup, I try to unveil the latest breakthroughs & uncover tomorrow's possibilities in the field of science. Whether you are a student, a professional, or simply a science enthusiast, this article will provide you with an engaging and informative insights and current updates in scientific world. Plus, as a compliment, you will get a peep into quirky AI images generated by me related to those very particular topics.

So, Let’s delve into the new scientific research that happened in the past month or so and explore the latest technologies that are being created and breakthroughs that were achieved in this field.

In the current blog, you will read about the following science events of the month:

• Physicists looking to generate electricity from the Earth’s rotation
• Private spacecraft “Blue Ghost” lands on the Moon
• Scientists working on Qutrits & Ququints where data can be stored in 3 & 5 states
• 128 new moons discovered around Saturn bringing the total to 274
• Light Pollution may render state of art Telescopes worthless
• Patient with titanium heart survives for 100 days
• Brain Mitochondria mapped in a ground breaking achievement
• In endurance athletes, Brains found eating its own myelin sheath
• Company that plans to create Woolly Mammoth, creates a Woolly Mouse
• Male Octopus found paralyzing females during sex to avoid being eaten
• Birds changing the way they make Nests
• Mice found trying to resuscitate their fellows
• Trump planning massive layoff at NASA to help Elon

Current Science Report: March 2025

Physicists looking to generate electricity from the Earth’s rotation

Researchers from Princeton University and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have developed a device that appears to generate electricity by harnessing the Earth’s rotation. While conventional theories suggest that creating electricity from a uniform field like Earth’s magnetic field is not possible, the team believes they have discovered a workaround that enables their device to produce small but detectable amounts of power.

If their findings are independently verified, the next stage would involve refining the device through miniaturization and scaling to make it viable for energy production, as detailed in a recently published research paper.

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This innovation joins a growing list of alternative energy sources, including enzymatic processes, triboelectric generators that capture energy from raindrops, and ocean wave-powered electricity. Other unconventional approaches include harvesting energy from radio waves, human sweat, and even the movement of a “drinking bird” toy.

Princeton University professor Christopher Chyba, who co-developed the device with JPL scientist Dr. Kevin Hand, initially focused on theoretical studies related to electromagnetic heating in celestial bodies. According to Chyba, their research was not aimed at practical applications but evolved into a hands-on experiment as new possibilities emerged. He emphasized that fundamental research often lays the foundation for technological breakthroughs.

In their study, the team explains how they built and tested the device. The concept is similar to how power stations generate electricity by moving a conductor through a magnetic field. Although previous research suggested that such a device was unfeasible, their calculations indicated that a cylindrical structure made of specific materials could manipulate Earth’s magnetic field to create an imbalance in electrostatic forces, leading to power generation.

To test their hypothesis, they built a hollow cylinder using a ferrite material containing manganese, zinc, and iron. The cylinder was placed on a specially designed wooden turntable mounted on an MRI cart, ensuring that only its orientation to Earth’s rotation changed. High-precision digital multimeters recorded data over several hours. The total cost of the experiment was approximately $25,000, though Chyba noted that much of this was spent on exploratory approaches that were later deemed unnecessary.

To avoid interference, the experiment was conducted in a light-sealed basement, with the measuring instruments enclosed in boxes to eliminate any unintended effects. When tested, the device produced a small but consistent voltage of 17 microvolts, confirming that it generated power when aligned correctly with Earth’s magnetic field. When its orientation changed, the voltage dropped to zero, reinforcing the validity of their design.

Despite these results, skepticism remains within the scientific community. In 2018, retired physicist Rinke Wijngaarden attempted a similar experiment but did not observe the same effect. While he acknowledges the novelty of the device, he remains unconvinced by the theory. On the other hand, physicist Paul Thomas from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire found the research compelling and believes it presents a significant discovery.

Chyba hopes that other research teams will attempt to replicate or challenge their findings, estimating that a reproduction of the experiment would cost under $10,000. Looking ahead, the researchers are exploring ways to enhance voltage output and improve scalability. They believe that miniaturization will be crucial in making the device practical, as smaller components could be combined into a compact system capable of generating useful power.

While this innovation is still in its early stages, the research underscores the importance of fundamental scientific inquiry. Chyba stresses that continued government support for basic research is vital, as it fosters discoveries that could shape future technologies.

Courtesy: Debrief

Private spacecraft “Blue Ghost” lands on the Moon

A private lunar lander carrying scientific instruments, including a drill and vacuum, successfully landed on the moon on Sunday as part of NASA’s efforts to promote commercial space ventures ahead of future astronaut missions. The lander, known as Blue Ghost and developed by Firefly Aerospace, descended autonomously onto the slopes of an ancient volcanic dome within a lunar impact basin on the moon’s northeastern near side.

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Mission Control, located near Austin, Texas, confirmed the touchdown, which occurred approximately 225,000 miles (360,000 kilometers) from Earth. Firefly’s chief engineer, Will Coogan, proudly announced, “You all stuck the landing. We’re on the moon.”

This achievement makes Firefly the first private company to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon without it crashing or tipping over. Even some nations have struggled, with only five—Russia, the United States, China, India, and Japan—having achieved successful landings.

Within 30 minutes of touchdown, Blue Ghost began transmitting images, including an initial selfie partially obscured by sunlight. A later image featured Earth as a tiny blue speck in the vastness of space. Other private landers are expected to follow soon, with the next anticipated arrival later in the week.

Named after a rare species of firefly, Blue Ghost's compact design contributed to its stability. Standing at 6 feet 6 inches (2 meters) tall and spanning 11 feet (3.5 meters) wide, the four-legged lander was designed to handle the lunar terrain. The mission, launched from Florida in mid-January, carried ten NASA experiments, with the space agency investing $101 million for delivery and an additional $44 million for onboard scientific and technological equipment.

This marks the third mission under NASA’s commercial lunar delivery initiative, aimed at fostering competition among private space firms while conducting preliminary research before human exploration resumes later this decade.

Firefly’s Ray Allensworth explained that the lander navigated around obstacles such as boulders to achieve a safe landing. While the exact location is still being analyzed, early indications suggest it landed within the planned 328-foot (100-meter) target zone in Mare Crisium. The onboard instruments will operate for about two weeks until lunar daytime ends, at which point the lander will shut down.

Among its scientific tools, Blue Ghost carries a vacuum to collect lunar soil for analysis, a drill capable of measuring temperatures up to 10 feet (3 meters) beneath the surface, and a device designed to mitigate the effects of lunar dust—an issue faced by Apollo astronauts, who found the abrasive particles clinging to their suits and equipment.

On its journey, the lander captured stunning images of Earth and, once in lunar orbit, detailed photographs of the moon’s cratered surface. It also successfully tested a navigation system by tracking signals from both the U.S. GPS and European Galileo satellite networks, a promising development for future space explorers.

Blue Ghost’s landing comes as competition in lunar exploration intensifies. Later this week, a second lander, built by Houston-based Intuitive Machines, is expected to touch down closer to the moon’s south pole. This lander stands 15 feet (4 meters) tall and aims to land approximately 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the pole—closer than its predecessor, which tipped over last year after breaking a leg. Despite the mishap, that mission marked the first U.S. presence on the moon since the Apollo program ended in 1972.

A third lander, developed by Japanese company ispace, is set to arrive in about three months. It launched alongside Blue Ghost on January 15 but is following a longer route. This marks ispace’s second attempt after its first lander crashed in 2023.

Over the decades, numerous missions have ended in failure, leaving wreckage scattered across the lunar surface. NASA, however, remains committed to sending two private landers to the moon annually, acknowledging that some will not succeed. Nicky Fox, NASA’s head of science, emphasized that such efforts pave the way for more scientific discoveries and advancements in lunar exploration.

Unlike the Apollo missions, which had vast budgets and astronaut crews to oversee landings, today’s commercial ventures rely on robotic landers operating on more constrained budgets. Firefly CEO Jason Kim celebrated the milestone, stating, “Everything went like clockwork. We got some moon dust on our boots.”

Courtesy: Business Standard

Scientists working on Qutrits & Ququints where data can be stored in 3 & 5 states

Quantum computing has traditionally relied on qubits—quantum units that represent '0', '1', or a superposition of both. However, researchers are now exploring 'qudits,' which can exist in three or more states simultaneously, expanding computational possibilities.

A study published in Nature Physics on March 25 details how physicists used 'qutrits' (three-state qudits) and 'ququints' (five-state qudits) to simulate high-energy quantum interactions. A related Physical Review Letters (PRL) paper from September demonstrated similar simulations for the strong nuclear force using qutrits. Such simulations could enhance quantum computers' ability to model complex particle interactions beyond conventional computing capabilities.

Christine Muschik, a theoretical physicist and co-author of the study, highlights that qudits are naturally suited for quantum field simulations. While qubits remain dominant, qudits offer improved efficiency and reduced errors by encoding more information within each unit. Despite their advantages, qudits are more complex to manage, as noted by Yale physicist Benjamin Brock.

Many quantum systems inherently support multiple states, making qudit implementation feasible with minor modifications to existing qubit-based processors like those from IBM and Google. Experiments have already demonstrated superconducting qudits with up to 12 levels. The PRL study leveraged IBM’s quantum chip for qutrits, while calcium ions were used to represent five-level ququints in another experiment, demonstrating their suitability for modeling quantum fields.

Future applications could include studying quark interactions within protons or neutrino collisions in supernovae. Theoretically, any qubit-based computation can be adapted to qudits and vice versa. However, qubits require extensive error correction, which qudits may help simplify by reducing the number of computational steps. While qudit-based quantum error correction shows promise, it remains a developing field with significant technical challenges. Experts acknowledge that large-scale quantum computers using qudits are still an open question but hold exciting potential for future advancements.

Courtesy: Nature

128 new moons discovered around Saturn bringing the total to 274

Astronomers have identified 128 new moons around Saturn, bringing the planet’s total to 274—more than any other in the solar system. The discovery, made using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in 2023, suggests that many of these moons may be remnants of past cosmic collisions, possibly as recent as 100 million years ago.

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Led by Edward Ashton from Academia Sinica in Taiwan, the team tracked these small, irregular moons, which range from a few miles to nearly 18 million miles from Saturn. Unlike the planet’s larger moons, such as Titan and Enceladus, these newfound moons orbit at steep angles, with some moving in the opposite direction of Saturn’s major moons.

The findings indicate a history of violent impacts in Saturn’s orbit. One group of 47 moons, named the Mundilfari subgroup, likely formed from a major collision within Saturn’s orbit. If confirmed, this suggests that the outer solar system has been more dynamically active in recent history than previously thought.

While further study is challenging due to the moons’ small size, future observations with the James Webb Space Telescope could provide more insights. Saturn may have even more undiscovered moons—potentially in the thousands—but for now, Ashton says he’s taking a break from moon-hunting.

Courtesy: New York Times

Light Pollution may render state-of-art Telescopes worthless

A massive green hydrogen plant planned for construction in Chile could increase light pollution at some of the world's most advanced telescopes by at least one-third, according to a new analysis by the European Southern Observatory (ESO).

The ESO report, released Monday, warns that the project would increase sky brightness by at least 35% at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and by 55% at the southern array of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO), which is under construction. The project could also cause atmospheric turbulence and vibrations that may damage sensitive astronomical instruments.

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Together, these effects could make telescope operations impossible. “It will reach a point where it is highly likely that we won’t be able to operate these telescopes,” said Itziar de Gregorio-Monsalvo, ESO’s representative in Chile, at a media briefing.

AES Andes, the Santiago-based developer behind the project, claims that its analysis found no “significant impact” on the observatories. The company has stated that it is reviewing the ESO’s findings to understand the discrepancies.

The green-energy project would span 3,000 hectares in Chile’s Atacama Desert, an area known for its arid climate, minimal cloud cover, and exceptionally dark skies—conditions that have attracted major astronomical projects like the VLT, the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), and the CTAO.

According to ESO’s analysis, the increased artificial light from the AES project would reduce the telescopes' ability to distinguish celestial objects, likening it to “reducing the size of the telescope mirrors.” In contrast, AES Andes claims that its project would increase sky brightness by no more than 0.27% at Paranal, 0.09% at the ELT, and 0.45% at CTAO—figures that remain within Chilean regulations.

At the end of February, the Antofagasta Environmental Agency recommended early rejection of the project, stating that its impacts were so severe that AES would need to submit an entirely new proposal in a different location. However, the final decision is still pending as other government agencies continue their review.

While Chile’s Atacama Desert has attracted an increasing number of industrial projects, most are located at least 50 km from the observatories. The AES project, planned just 11 km from Paranal and 5 km from CTAO, is the first to be proposed so close to these world-class facilities.

AES Andes argues that the project would make the Antofagasta region a hub for green innovation, generating 5,000 jobs and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1.5 million tonnes per year. However, ESO Director-General Xavier Barcons warns that approving the project could mean “the beginning of the end” for some of the world’s most important astronomical research.

“Astronomers do not oppose green energy or economic development,” Barcons stated. “But what we could lose here cannot be replaced anywhere else in the world.”

Courtesy: Nature

Patient with titanium heart survives for 100 days

An Australian man in his forties has become the first person in the world to leave the hospital with an artificial titanium heart, marking a major milestone in cardiac medicine. The device, called BiVACOR, serves as a temporary solution for heart failure patients awaiting a donor heart. While previous recipients remained in U.S. hospitals, this man lived with the device for over three months before successfully receiving a transplant.

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Developed by biomedical engineer Daniel Timms, BiVACOR is a total heart replacement powered by a magnetically suspended rotor, continuously pumping blood throughout the body. Unlike traditional mechanical heart devices, which rely on multiple moving parts prone to failure, BiVACOR has only one moving component, potentially increasing reliability. The device connects to an external controller powered by batteries during the day and mains electricity at night.

The Australian recipient, who underwent a six-hour surgery in November, was discharged in February and lived an active life before receiving his donor heart in March. His case builds on previous U.S. trials where five men used an earlier version of BiVACOR for up to a month while awaiting transplants. Following refinements, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now approved trials for 15 more individuals.

Some experts believe BiVACOR could eventually serve as a permanent alternative for patients ineligible for heart transplants due to age or health conditions. However, more trials are needed before it becomes widely available. With nearly 7 million U.S. adults living with heart failure and only about 4,500 heart transplants performed annually, solutions like BiVACOR and emerging technologies—such as pig-organ transplants—could play a vital role in addressing the global organ shortage.

Courtesy: Nature

Brain Mitochondria mapped in a ground breaking achievement

Scientists have created the first comprehensive map of mitochondria across the brain, a breakthrough that could provide insights into age-related brain disorders. The study reveals that mitochondria—responsible for generating cellular energy—vary in type and density across different brain regions. Evolutionarily older regions have fewer mitochondria compared to newer ones.

The researchers, using biochemical and molecular techniques, analyzed mitochondria in 703 tiny brain samples from a donor. They developed a predictive model that accurately mapped mitochondrial distribution across the entire brain. The findings show that grey matter, which contains neuron cell bodies, has over 50% more mitochondria than white matter, which consists mainly of neuron branches. Additionally, mitochondria in the cortex—an advanced brain region—were found to be more efficient at producing energy.

These findings support the idea that mitochondrial changes may play a role in psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. The research team is now expanding their study to examine mitochondria in 500 human brains to better understand their role in brain disorders.

Courtesy: Nature

In endurance athletes, Brains found eating its own myelin sheath

Scientists suggest that marathon runners may use myelin—the fatty tissue surrounding nerve fibers—as an energy source during races. A study published on October 10 in bioRxiv.org found that myelin levels drop significantly in the days following a marathon, according to brain scans of runners. However, within two weeks, myelin appears to regenerate almost to its original state. This finding implies that extreme physical exertion forces athletes to tap into alternative fuel sources to keep their brains functioning properly.

Mustapha Bouhrara, a neuroimaging scientist at the National Institute on Aging, describes the discovery as “intriguing” and considers it plausible that myelin lipids serve as fuel during prolonged exercise. If confirmed, this research could have therapeutic applications, potentially helping those with myelin loss due to aging or neurodegenerative diseases.

Myelin is essential for brain function, acting as an insulating sheath around nerve fibers to speed up electrical communication between neurons. Traditionally, scientists believed myelin was a static structure, but recent studies support the concept of "myelin plasticity," indicating that it can change dynamically depending on cellular needs. Klaus-Armin Nave, a neurobiologist at the Max Planck Institute, explains that myelin is constantly being broken down and rebuilt, and experiments in mice suggest that brain cells can utilize myelin lipids when glucose—the brain’s primary energy source—is scarce.

Carlos Matute, a neurobiologist at the Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience and a marathon runner himself, speculated that endurance athletes might also rely on myelin for energy. His team conducted MRI scans on four marathon runners before and after their races, as well as on two of them two weeks later. The scans revealed a decrease in myelin levels shortly after the race, followed by a significant rebound after two weeks.

Bouhrara finds this rapid decline and recovery striking but urges caution in interpreting the results. He notes that the study used water trapped between myelin layers as an indicator of myelin content. Since dehydration affects brain tissue, it's possible that post-race myelin reductions could be due to fluid loss rather than actual breakdown.

Matute, however, argues that dehydration is unlikely to explain the findings, as the scans were conducted days after the race when runners had already rehydrated. Furthermore, their brain volumes remained consistent before and after the race, whereas dehydration would likely cause the brain to shrink.

Matute’s team is now exploring whether this temporary myelin loss impacts brain function and how long the recovery process takes. He emphasizes that these findings do not suggest that running harms the brain. Instead, the cycle of depleting and replenishing energy reserves might actually strengthen the brain’s metabolic processes.

Courtesy: Science News

Company planning to create Woolly Mammoth, creates a Woolly Mouse

With curly whiskers and wavy, light hair growing three times longer than that of an ordinary lab mouse, a genetically modified rodent now exhibits several traits reminiscent of the woolly mammoth. This peculiar mouse is the latest creation from Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas-based company aiming to bring extinct species—like the mammoth—back to life.

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Colossal says its woolly mouse serves as a critical step in testing how specific genetic sequences influence the physical adaptations that allowed mammoths to thrive in icy conditions.

“It is an important step toward validating our approach to resurrecting traits that have been lost to extinction,” said Dr. Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s chief science officer, in a news release Tuesday.

To develop the woolly mouse, Colossal identified key genetic differences between the woolly mammoth and its closest living relative, the Asian elephant. Researchers then focused on 10 genetic variants related to hair length, thickness, texture, color, and body fat—traits that could be mirrored in lab mice.

Among the targeted genes was FGF5 (fibroblast growth factor 5), which regulates hair growth cycles, resulting in longer, shaggier fur. Scientists also modified genes involved in follicle development to produce woolly hair, wavy coats, and curled whiskers.

Other notable edits included MC1R, which controls melanin production, giving the mice golden-colored fur, and a genetic variant linked to body weight changes, mimicking adaptations seen in Arctic animals. In total, the team made eight simultaneous gene edits across seven mouse genes, using cutting-edge genetic engineering techniques.

Colossal has shared an preprint detailing the work, which has yet to undergo peer review.

While some scientists praise the technical achievement, others question its significance. “This is a proof-of-principle that Colossal has the know-how to do this kind of gene editing,” said Love Dalen, a Stockholm University evolutionary genomics professor and coauthor of the study.

But Robin Lovell Badge, a stem cell biology expert at the Francis Crick Institute, was less impressed. “My biggest problem with the paper is that there is nothing addressing whether the modified mice are cold-tolerant, which is the justification for the work,” he said. “As it is, we have some cute, hairy-looking mice, but we’ve learned little about their actual physiology.”

Since its founding in 2021, Colossal Biosciences has raised $435 million to pursue its ambitious goal: resurrecting extinct animals by editing the genomes of their closest living relatives.

The company plans to reintroduce a mammoth-like elephant into the Arctic tundra, arguing that these creatures could help slow permafrost thaw by trampling snow and grazing on vegetation. Colossal previously stated it aims to produce the first woolly mammoth calves by 2028.

However, many scientists remain skeptical. “We know a lot about mouse genetics, but much less about mammoths and elephants,” said Tori Herridge, a biosciences researcher at the University of Sheffield. “Unless you edit every necessary gene, you are only ever going to create a crude approximation of an extinct creature. You are never going to ‘bring back’ a mammoth.”

While genetically engineering mice and cattle is relatively straightforward, applying similar techniques to elephants presents significant challenges. Unlike lab mice, elephant reproduction is far less understood, and assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) are not well-developed for elephants.

“Working with mice or cattle is easy, but there’s a lot about elephant reproduction that remains unknown,” said Rob Taft, a principal scientist at The Jackson Laboratory.

Despite the skepticism, Colossal’s work represents a major step forward in de-extinction science. Whether these woolly mice will lead to the return of mammoths—or simply remain a novel experiment—remains to be seen.

Courtesy: CNN

Male Octopus found paralyzing females during sex to avoid being eaten

Male blue-lined octopuses inject females with venom during mating to avoid being eaten, according to new research. These small yet highly venomous cephalopods, found in shallow reefs, use tetrodotoxin—a potent neurotoxin also found in pufferfish—to paralyze their larger mates.

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A study led by Dr. Wen-Sung Chung from the University of Queensland found that males deliver a precise bite to the female’s aorta at the start of mating. Female blue-lined octopuses, about two to five times larger than males, often resort to sexual cannibalism, especially since they stop feeding for six weeks while guarding their eggs.

Unlike other cephalopods that use long-distance mating strategies, blue-lined octopuses rely on close-contact mating. Males, which have a specialized mating arm (hectocotylus), mount the females and immobilize them for 40 to 75 minutes. The venom causes temporary paralysis, stopping the female’s breathing within eight minutes, though they recover and resume feeding the next day.

Despite its lethal effect on humans and sea turtles, female octopuses appear resistant to the toxin. Blue-lined octopuses follow a semelparous reproductive cycle, with males dying soon after mating and females perishing after their larvae hatch.

Chung describes this mating behavior as an evolutionary “arms race,” where males developed this strategy to ensure successful reproduction despite the size advantage of females.

Courtesy: Guardian

Birds changing the way they make Nests

Scientists have used expiration dates on plastic waste in bird nests to determine when they were built, a method that could help track nesting site histories and species behavior. The study, published in Ecology, focused on common coots (Fulica atra) in Amsterdam, which incorporate plastic debris into their nests.

Urban ecologist Auke-Florian Hiemstra and his team collected abandoned nests, sorting through plastic materials with visible expiration dates. Most nests contained recent waste, but one, dubbed the “Rokin nest,” had plastic dating back over 30 years. Layers of the nest reflected human history, from COVID-19 face masks to candy wrappers from the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Researchers estimate that at least three generations of coots reused the Rokin nest. While wild coots build new nests annually from decaying plants, urban coots benefit from plastic’s durability, potentially saving time on nest-building. However, excessive plastic poses risks, including entanglement and parasites.

The method could help scientists assess habitat suitability by analyzing how long nests are reused. If birds are struggling to find new sites, it could signal environmental challenges. Hiemstra believes plastic-filled nests may hold even more historical data than previously thought.

Courtesy: Science.Org

Mice found trying to resuscitate their fellows

Scientists have discovered that mice instinctively attempt to revive unconscious companions by licking their faces and pulling at their mouths and tongues. The study, published on February 21 in Science, provides the first documented evidence of resuscitation-like behavior in untrained mice.

Researchers at the University of Southern California observed that mice spent nearly half of a 13-minute test interacting with an unconscious peer, intensifying their grooming from licking to more aggressive actions like biting and tongue pulling. The study found that mice who were more familiar with the unconscious individual showed stronger responses, leading to a faster recovery.

Lead author Wenjian Sun noted that while caregiving behavior has been observed in animals like dolphins and elephants, this specific resuscitation-like response is new. "The animal appears to recognize the unconscious state of its partner, with unresponsiveness triggering the behavior and recovery stopping it," Sun explained.

A separate study by researchers at UCLA, also published in Science, explored the neurological basis of this behavior. They found that oxytocin—the “love hormone” linked to social bonding—was released in key brain regions, such as the amygdala and hypothalamus. Blocking oxytocin receptors disrupted the response, confirming its role in this instinctive caregiving behavior.

While it remains unclear whether mice act with conscious intent or purely out of instinct, the findings suggest an evolutionary basis for emergency responses in social animals. Future research will focus on mapping the exact neural circuits involved.

Courtesy: Live Science

Trump planning massive layoff at NASA to help Elon

The atmosphere at NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston was recently filled with excitement as astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore returned from their unexpected 286-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). However, that excitement has now turned into uncertainty as the agency begins laying off employees under U.S. President Donald Trump’s cost-cutting measures.

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Reports indicate that NASA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., experienced substantial job cuts on March 10, catching many by surprise. The layoffs affected three offices, including two major policy divisions, and impacted several senior scientists and engineers. As a result, many professionals within the agency—scientists, engineers, and administrators—now face an uncertain career path.

Although the full extent of the restructuring remains unknown, reports suggest that NASA has formed a specialized internal team, dubbed the “Tiger Team,” to explore ways to implement significant budget reductions. The initiative aligns with Trump’s executive orders and a broader government efficiency program known as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), reportedly led by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

In an internal email obtained by CNN, NASA’s acting administrator, Janet Petro, addressed the situation: “Over the past few weeks, an internal team has been working on a strategy to optimize our organization—whether through streamlining operations, eliminating redundant reports and analyses, improving decision-making speed, or identifying cost-saving opportunities.”

Petro emphasized that while no specific changes had been finalized, the agency had identified key areas for possible reforms. “In the coming weeks, we will assess where adjustments can be made while considering any new priorities from the administration and the incoming NASA administrator once confirmed.”

A NASA spokesperson confirmed to CNN that 23 employees were dismissed in the initial round of layoffs. One senior NASA official, who received a termination notice on March 10 and will remain employed until April 10, revealed that affected employees would not be compensated for accrued time-off awards. Additionally, two sources reported that some laid-off employees were denied expected spring bonuses and were prohibited from applying for other internal roles.

“I feel like we were targeted,” one source told CNN. “Denying our bonuses is extremely harsh, unnecessary, and heartless.” Employees were given only 30 days' notice before being let go. In a statement to CNN, NASA defended the short timeline, stating that it was “in alignment with the urgent need to comply with Trump’s executive order and broader government restructuring deadlines.”

For those who were not affected, the sudden job cuts have deeply impacted morale. “Everyone has lost confidence,” a NASA staff member said. “What was the rush? This feels needlessly cruel.”

As the layoffs continue, the space industry fears a loss of top talent. Highly experienced professionals may now seek opportunities at private aerospace companies like SpaceX or Blue Origin or explore careers abroad. While the long-term consequences of these cuts are still uncertain, critics warn that such abrupt and extensive reductions could hinder scientific progress and disrupt NASA’s long-term projects and strategic planning.

Courtesy: Business Standard