NASA Civil Servant Workforce Archives

2012 – NASA Demographics

As of the beginning of fiscal year (FY) 2013, NASA employed ## individuals, a decrease of ##% from the start of FY 2012. This is just ##% below the average number of NASA employees from FY 2003 to FY 2013, reflecting the relative stability of NASA’s workforce since FY 2003. More than ##% of NASA’s workforce consists of scientists and engineers.

Workforce: Workforce and Education – TSR 2012

Workforce: Workforce and Education - TSR 2012 explores U.S. space, European space, Japanese space, and other space workforces at national levels, including NASA and U.S. National Security space workforce. Along with…

2011 – NASA Geographical Distribution Snapshot

As of July 2011, the number of employees associated with the shuttle program nationwide had dropped to approximately ## contractors and ## civil servants for a total of ## employees, compared to a high of ## during the 1990s. NASA workforce planners estimate that the number of shuttle contractors will be reduced to ## by the close of FY 2012, and from there to ## contractors during FY 2013.

2011 – NASA Workforce – Snapshot

In 2011, NASA’s Space Shuttle Program came to an end. The shuttle program had been a major source of employment for the U.S. aerospace workforce. Anticipating the retirement of the shuttle, NASA developed strategies and policies for the transition of the government and contractor workforce, expecting that when the shuttle program concluded, many of the associated professionals would transition to the Constellation Program. However, funding for the Constellation Program was cancelled under the U.S. fiscal year (FY) 2011 federal budget.

2010 – NASA Geographical Distribution – Snapshot

At Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, the contractor workforce is anticipated to be reduced from ## in 2009 to approximately ## by the time the shuttle ceases operations. Impacts of this job loss are expected to significantly affect the local economy beyond space industry unemployment alone. The workforce development agency in Brevard County, where KSC is located, estimates that up to ## jobs in total will be lost in the county as a result of the NASA contractor downsizing.

2010 – NASA Demographics – Snapshot

Since 2004, NASA has been planning for the retirement of the Space Shuttle, scheduled to fly its last mission in 2011. The shuttle was to be replaced by the Constellation Program, which would have had both a smaller budget and workforce. In fiscal year (FY) 2009, approximately ## civil servants and ## contractors were employed nationwide by either the Shuttle or Constellation Program.

2009 – NASA Demographics – Snapshot

NASA workforce dynamics driven by programmatic changes are complicated by demographic trends within the overall U.S. space workforce. Both NASA civil servants and the wider U.S. aerospace industry workforce can be characterized as mono-generational. Rather than being evenly spread out over a wide range of ages, much of the workforce is concentrated within a narrow age range.

2009 – NASA Workforce – Snapshot

In addition to U.S. private sector employment, the U.S. government employs a substantial base of civilian space workers. NASA is the primary government agency responsible for civil space activity, including human spaceflight. As of November 2009, NASA directly employed ## people, referred to as “civil servants.”

U.S. Space Workforce

NASA Civil Servant Workforce