WASHINGTON – Alabama’s aerospace and defense hub faces an uncertain future as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency examines NASA and the Department of Defense’s funding and employment.
Huntsville is home to roughly 21,000 federal workers, including 7,000 at Marshall Space Flight Center. It plays a key role in the Artemis program. The center is also responsible for the Space Launch System, the heavy-lift launch vehicle that can send astronauts to the moon.
However, Huntsville is bracing for changes under Musk’s watch, especially considering the SpaceX founder’s own interest in NASA programs and criticisms of Artemis and the SLS. In a post on X last month, Musk said the moon was a “distraction” and said “we’re going straight to Mars.” SpaceX, has received more than $14.5 billion in federal contracts with NASA.
The Top House Democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees NASA funding, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), sent a letter to NASA’s Acting Administrator, Janet Petro, that highlighted Musk’s potential conflict of interest and urged her to revoke Musk and DOGE’s access to NASA headquarters.
Last week, Boeing announced it is laying off 71 people in Huntsville starting April 18, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act list, which requires companies to give 60 days’ notice before mass layoffs. Boeing cited contract revisions connected to the SLS program as a reason for reducing its workforce. Boeing said fewer than 200 workers companywide will be impacted.
“While Boeing is committed to supporting NASA’s Artemis missions and delivering capabilities for the core stages and Exploration Upper Stage, workforce adjustments are still necessary to drive efficiency and cost effectiveness on the program as portions of Boeing’s SLS work matures from development to production,” a Boeing spokesperson said in a statement.
Boeing said it would redeploy employees where possible.
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said DOGE is working to ensure taxpayer money is being spent wisely but said Redstone Arsenal shouldn’t see a major impact.
“We obviously need everything that we have in Huntsville, especially when it comes to space,” Tuberville said.
Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., said she has continued to highlight Alabama’s aerospace capabilities in her meetings with Trump officials.
“(The Space Launch System) is the most powerful rocket in world history and the only rocket currently capable of taking astronauts and large cargo directly to lunar orbit in a single launch,” Britt said in a statement. “Our past achievements and future ambitions prove Alabamians will continue to play an integral role in redefining the boundaries of human imagination and the heights of human achievement for decades to come.”
President Donald Trump signed multiple executive orders when he entered office aimed at reshaping the federal workforce. Federal employees were given an option to take a deferred resignation offer. About 5% of the nearly 18,000 NASA employees took that option, including 74 at Marshall. The agency is currently processing those employees.
“NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is complying with guidance and direction provided by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management,” Joseph Pelfrey, NASA Marshall Director, said in a statement.
Now, DOGE is compiling lists of probationary employees at federal agencies for possible layoffs, including at the Department of the Defense, the Associated Press reported. However, NASA said its probationary job cuts will be “performance-based or voluntary in accordance with agency policy.”
“The agency will continue to monitor all employee performances and take swift action as appropriate with any issues, ensuring American citizens have an excellent and efficient workforce at NASA,” a NASA spokesperson said in a statement.
Marshall officials said “it is premature to discuss any potential impacts to our workforce.”
Rep. Dale Strong, R-Huntsville, did not respond to a request for comment. At an event in Huntsville Thursday, FOX 54 reported Strong said the cuts aimed at making the federal government more efficient will ultimately benefit Huntsville.
While DOGE works to shrink the federal government, Tuberville and Britt are pushing to grow the government’s presence in Huntsville. The senators sent a letter to the recently confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel just hours after his confirmation Thursday urging him to fill 1,000 open FBI slots at Redstone.
A day later, reports began indicating that Patel will move as many as 500 FBI workers from Washington to the Huntsville campus.