Cape Canaveral, Florida – Despite the successful launch of the SLS rocket by Boeing for NASA’s Artemis Program, the company announced significant layoffs and reassignments for over 1,000 employees working on the program. The decision came after the program faced delays shifting the timelines for future lunar missions.
Boeing has been leading the development of the core stage of the SLS rocket for nearly fifteen years, a contract that has drawn criticism for its costliness and management. Although the rocket was scheduled to debut in late 2016 or 2017, it did not launch until November 2022, with NASA’s Inspector General at times describing Boeing’s management as poor.
However, after a successful uncrewed mission to the Moon, NASA declared the rocket operational, prompting Boeing to scale down activities related to the core stage. The company confirmed that the layoffs were necessary due to external factors unrelated to their program performance.
The cuts are anticipated to affect hundreds of employees across Boeing’s rocket facilities in Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida, impacting both the core stage and the Exploration Upper Stage programs. While the SLS rocket remains on track, NASA’s Artemis Program faces uncertainties with delays in other critical elements.
NASA’s Artemis II mission, a crewed lunar flyby, and Artemis III, a lunar landing mission, have experienced significant delays, pushing the timelines to September 2025 and 2026, respectively. Challenges remain for Artemis II, where a heat shield issue with the Orion spacecraft needs resolution.
Moreover, Artemis III requires a lunar lander from SpaceX’s Starship vehicle and spacesuits from Axiom Space, both in the development phase. Budget constraints at NASA have further complicated the situation, forcing the agency to make tough choices in allocating resources across the Artemis mission.
Boeing’s decision to reduce staff comes following a directive from NASA to stretch funding for SLS development, impacted by delays in the Artemis mission. While external factors loom over the Artemis Program, the future success of NASA’s lunar missions hinges on addressing crucial development challenges for all mission elements.