February 9th, 2025

Boeing has informed its employees that NASA may cancel SLS contracts

Boeing may lay off 400 employees by April 2025 due to potential NASA SLS contract cancellations. The program faces criticism for costs and delays, but NASA insists it's vital for Artemis.

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Boeing has informed its employees that NASA may cancel SLS contracts

Boeing has alerted its employees about the potential cancellation of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) contracts, which could lead to significant layoffs. During a brief meeting, Boeing's vice president, David Dutcher, indicated that contracts might end in March, prompting the company to prepare for approximately 400 job reductions by April 2025. This notification aligns with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, requiring a 60-day notice for mass layoffs. The uncertainty surrounding the SLS program comes amid ongoing discussions within the White House and NASA regarding its future, with some advocating for its cancellation due to high costs and delays. Critics argue that the SLS, which has faced significant budget overruns and delays since its inception in 2011, is less efficient compared to emerging private space launch options like SpaceX and Blue Origin. Despite these concerns, NASA maintains that the SLS remains a crucial part of its Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon. The upcoming budget proposal from the Trump administration may further influence the fate of the SLS program.

- Boeing is preparing for potential layoffs due to the possible cancellation of NASA's SLS contracts.

- Approximately 400 positions may be cut by April 2025 as part of the WARN Act requirements.

- The SLS program has faced criticism for its high costs and delays compared to private space launch alternatives.

- NASA asserts that the SLS is essential for its Artemis program despite ongoing debates about its future.

- The upcoming budget proposal from the Trump administration could impact the SLS program's continuation.

Link Icon 10 comments
By @Animats - 3 months
Good. With both Blue Origin and Space-X having flown heavy boosters, there's no need for a US$2 billion per launch Boeing booster, even if it works.
By @ianmcnaney - 3 months
Oh no, not that! Don’t cancel contracts for a useless, broken, overpriced launch system built by a company that famously forgot how to build airplanes with doors that stay attached while the autopilot forces it into a crash. The US needs more of that, for national insecurity!
By @avmich - 3 months
I don't like to have all the work that went into Starliner to be in vain. Similarly I wouldn't like to have all the work that went into Orion to produce nothing tangible in the short term. We don't really have enough man-rated spacecraft, and won't be for some time.
By @drawkward - 3 months
Seems completely right. We should let the unelected technocrat and wealthiest human award himself every tax dollar. What even is government for, if not redistribution of wealth to the already wealthy?
By @vaadu - 3 months
Good. Hand the Uber part of the mission to SpaceX

It will get done in half the time at half the price.

By @boznz - 3 months
should have been done 5 years ago
By @drawkward - 3 months
Not even a hint of impropriety here, move along.
By @Dalewyn - 3 months
I wholeheartedly approve of the (potential) termination. The Senate Launch System has overstayed its welcome even by pork standards, and with DOGE going into the budget to slash it down to size there is no excuse for this program to survive.
By @sebazzz - 3 months
Well now China will definitely have people on the moon, while at the same time SpaceX will have an excuse not to make the existing time frame because of scope changes.