Johnson Space Center

NASA 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.

arstechnica.com · 2026-10-06

NASA unveils Artemis-themed livery on a T-38 astronaut training jet

NASA has repainted one of its T-38 supersonic training jets with a new black-and-white design featuring blue and red stripes, the Artemis program logo, and Moon graphics on the rear fuselage. The design, proposed by pilot Sean Brady of the Aircraft Operations Division at Johnson Space Center, was applied during the jet's scheduled repainting rather than for any special ceremony. The aircraft, tail number N924NA, is now the only one of NASA's 14 active T-38s that doesn't wear the agency's traditional blue-stripe livery.

arstechnica.com · 2026-08-27