GoKawiilNASA plans to convert 7,500 contractor roles into civil service positions
NASA is moving thousands of contractor jobs, many in roles like Mission Control, into civil servant positions. The shift revisits a practice from the Apollo era, when such roles were staffed directly by NASA employees rather than outside firms. Former flight director Gerry Griffin recalled that during Apollo missions, NASA retained direct responsibility for mission-critical roles, a practice that eroded over subsequent decades, notably during the space shuttle program.
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Griffin's account suggests that outsourcing critical roles to contractors, often used as a way to expand NASA's workforce without increasing official civil service headcount, may have diluted accountability during high-stakes operations. Bringing these positions back in-house could reflect an effort to restore direct institutional control and accountability over mission-critical functions, though NASA's specific reasoning for this move isn't detailed here. The change may also affect how NASA manages costs, training, and long-term workforce planning.
- NASA is converting about 7,500 contractor positions into civil service jobs.
- The move echoes Apollo-era staffing, when Mission Control roles were held by NASA employees rather than contractors.
- Former flight director Gerry Griffin says outsourcing increased over time, partly to expand headcount without raising official NASA employee counts.
Source: arstechnica.com, 2026-10-06
Published there as: “Why is NASA bringing 7,500 contractors back to work as civil servants?”
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