NASA employees are expressing deep concern over the potential disposal of highly specialized scientific equipment at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Maryland due to ongoing government shutdowns. Internal communications reviewed by CNN indicate that over a dozen buildings on the GSFC campus are being emptied without prior notice, putting critical assets at risk. These buildings house essential equipment used in significant missions, including the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes.
Among the equipment facing abandonment is the ElectroMagnetic Anechoic Chamber (GEMAC), vital for testing spacecraft antennas. One source described the situation as akin to “taking a Maserati to the junkyard to get crushed because your driver’s license expired.” The GEMAC is fully operational and has decades of capability remaining to support both internal operations and industry collaborations.
Concerns are mounting among NASA scientists regarding the potential permanent loss of access to crucial equipment. A draft letter from the advocacy group Advancing Earth and Space Science emphasizes that such losses could jeopardize future missions and research in space science. The closures may also affect the launch timeline of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and the Dragonfly program, which aims to deploy a large helicopter to Saturn’s largest moon.
In response to the rising alarm, a NASA spokesperson stated that the ongoing closures are part of a “strategic consolidation” plan that would not impact active projects. Nevertheless, approximately 100 laboratories across 13 buildings are being shuttered, with many of these facilities not scheduled for closure until the early 2030s.
Despite assurances from NASA, the situation raises significant concerns about the future of the GSFC. The Trump administration’s actions have been criticized as dismantling a critical part of the nation’s space capabilities during a time when large portions of the government remain unfunded. Staff morale has reportedly plummeted amid fears that unpaid labor during the shutdown may not be compensated.
One engineer at Goddard remarked, “Getting rid of Goddard removes the entire nation’s capability to build, develop and analyze data from space science satellites.” Another staff member expressed a sense of an “existential crisis,” suggesting that the center could either cease to exist or no longer function as intended.
Critics of the downsizing argue that the measures do not yield any actual savings. “I can’t understand why our management would want to internally sabotage our capabilities,” one source noted, highlighting a lack of clear rationale behind the closures beyond purported cost-saving efforts.
The uncertainty surrounding NASA’s future is compounded by looming budget cuts proposed by the White House for the 2026 fiscal year. The American Astronomical Society has warned that these cuts could slash NASA’s science funding by more than half, potentially reducing Goddard’s science staff by up to 42 percent. The Planetary Society described the proposed budget as “nothing short of an extinction-level event for space science and exploration in the United States.”
While the budget has yet to be formally approved, insiders at NASA fear that the Trump administration is advancing its plans regardless. A NASA spokesperson confirmed that the agency is “planning for multiple FY26 scenarios” while ensuring compliance with the law.
As the situation continues to develop, employees and advocates alike remain vigilant, stressing the importance of maintaining the integrity of NASA and its vital contributions to global space science.