{"id":20418,"date":"2025-06-28T00:22:09","date_gmt":"2025-06-28T00:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/20418\/"},"modified":"2025-06-28T00:22:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-28T00:22:09","slug":"janet-petros-embrace-the-challenge-update-27-june-2025-voluntary-workforce-shaping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/20418\/","title":{"rendered":"Janet Petro&#8217;s Embrace The Challenge Update 27 June 2025: &#8220;Voluntary Workforce Shaping&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>                                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Janet-Petro-1.webp.webp\" alt=\"Janet Petro\u2019s Embrace The Challenge Update 27 June 2025: \u201cVoluntary Workforce Shaping\u201d\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Thank you to everyone who tuned in for this week\u2019s agency town hall. More than 32,000 of you watched through\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/townhall.nasa.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">townhall.nasa.gov<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 and that doesn\u2019t include those who gathered in auditoriums and conference rooms to watch together. A big thanks to our Office of the Chief Information Officer for putting key measures in place to ensure we stayed online and uninterrupted from start to finish.\u00a0 <strong>Keith\u2019s note: here is the <a href=\"http:\/\/This Apple Event was unknown to the recipient and could not be processed (macOS error code: -1708).\">audio from the Town hall event<\/a> \u2013 note that although the topic of RIF was frequently asked, Janet Petro makes zero mention of that word or statements that she and her staff made in this sanitized version of the event.<\/strong> <strong>Instead it is all about \u201cvoluntary workforce shaping\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We covered a lot of ground and tackled some tough topics. I want to reiterate a few key points here:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Reorganizations are a process \u2013 and will take time. I expect to decide on the top-level structure and begin engaging our stakeholders in the coming weeks. That structure will only go down to the center level initially. What happens below that will take shape over time, and I ask for your patience as this reshaping effort takes place \u2013 it will take time before we know how this impacts individuals.\u00a0 We are reorganizing to become the most efficient and effective organization we can be \u2013 aligned to the mission we are charged with and the resources we expect to receive.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>We are offering a limited window of voluntary workforce shaping tools to avoid any involuntary separations.\u00a0For civil servants, the opt-in period for the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP), Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA), and Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) is open through July 25. We do not plan to offer these programs again. With our budget trending downward and reorganization ahead, these voluntary options offer an off-ramp for those who want to take it.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The President\u2019s FY 2026 Budget Request for NASA is NASA\u2019s budget request \u2013 and while it\u2019s still working through Congress, we have to begin preparing to align our workforce and resources now to meet the mission priorities it outlines.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I know many of you are facing deeply personal decisions in the weeks ahead \u2013 and I understand how heavy that can feel. Those feelings are valid. It\u2019s also understandable to want more clarity. The information that\u2019s available now \u2013 whether it\u2019s the\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/fy-2026-budget-request\/\" target=\"_blank\">proposed budget<\/a>\u00a0or the\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/nasa.sharepoint.com\/sites\/OCHCO\/SitePages\/NASA-Deferred-Resignation-Program.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">resources<\/a>\u00a0through the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer \u2013 is the information we have. Sometimes, we\u2019re asked to make decisions without the full data set, and I encourage you to lean on your support system, talk things through, and make the best choice for you.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Even in the midst of this, we have a mission to carry out, and I continue to be impressed by what this team gets done. A few recent highlights:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>NASA and Roscosmos recently agreed to lower the pressure in the transfer tunnel of the International Space Station\u2019s Zvezda service module following repair work, enabling us to proceed with Axiom Mission 4. The mission\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/nasa-to-welcome-fourth-private-astronaut-mission-to-space-station\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">launched<\/a>\u00a0early Wednesday, carrying former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson alongside astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary. This milestone reflects the strength of NASA\u2019s international partnerships and commercial capabilities, with U.S. industry helping expand opportunity and access to space on a global scale.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>NASA\u2019s System-Wide Safety project is working with aviation safety company ResilienX, which recently demonstrated how NASA-developed tools that assess risk \u2013 like those predicting navigation performance and airspace congestion \u2013 are being integrated into their commercial systems. This collaboration already is leading to direct tech transfer to ResilienX and indirect benefits for partners, such as the U.S. Air Force, advancing safety in future airspace operations.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Teams at Kennedy Space Center continued fueling the Orion spacecraft for Artemis II inside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility, and the Artemis II astronauts recently joined the launch team for a variety of launch-day scenarios.\u202fThese integrated exercises help ensure both crew and ground teams are fully prepared for their mission around the Moon.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Technicians have\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/blogs\/imap\/2025\/06\/25\/nasas-imap-instruments-join-spacecraft\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">installed and integrated<\/a>\u00a0two critical instruments, CoDICE and SWAPI, onto our IMAP spacecraft as of June\u202f23, ahead of its targeted fall launch. IMAP will monitor space weather and map the heliosphere from a vantage point near L1, providing nearrealtime data to\u00a0map the entire heliosphere, as well as study the physics of how particles gain energy.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/stmd-flight-opportunities\/access-flight-tests\/nasa-techleap-prize-information\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">NASA\u2019s TechLeap Prize<\/a>\u00a0selected\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stpc.nasatechleap.org\/results\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">teams<\/a>\u00a0from industry and academia to develop solutions for critical NASA and commercial space industry needs in the Space Technology Payload Challenge, such as producing consumables from Martian regolith (University of Texas, San Antonio) and in-space biomanufacturing systems for long-duration human spaceflight (Ambrosia Space). With the opportunity for flight testing with commercial providers, the challenge enables quicker paths to the flight heritage needed for future space missions, achieving efficient and impactful technology advancements.\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>NASA\u2019s Office of Communications received an Emmy Award this week at the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/general\/nasa-earns-two-emmy-nominations-for-2024-total-solar-eclipse-coverage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">46th Annual News &amp; Documentary Emmy Awards<\/a>\u00a0for Outstanding Live News Special \u2013 recognizing our broadcast coverage of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/live\/2MJY_ptQW1o?feature=shared\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">2024 total solar eclipse<\/a>. This honor reflects the incredible talent and coordination behind the scenes: twelve telescope feeds, 11 correspondents across 2,000 miles, nine watch parties, and live video from the International Space Station, a high-altitude research aircraft, and Wallops Flight Facility \u2013 all routed through multiple NASA control rooms and brought together at our broadcast hub at Glenn Research Center. It was a remarkable feat of engineering and storytelling and a proud moment for the entire agency.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Finally, I\u2019ve asked officials in charge to implement a \u201cquiet week\u201d for civil servants starting Monday, June 30. While mission-critical work will continue, I\u2019m encouraging teams to scale back on meetings where possible, provided it doesn\u2019t disrupt operational or organizational priorities. If you\u2019re considering taking leave, please coordinate with your supervisor.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Thank you for all that you do, and have a great weekend.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Embrace the Challenge,\u00a0<strong\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Janet<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>                                                                            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/keith_cowing.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space &amp; Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Thank you to everyone who tuned in for this week\u2019s agency town hall. More than 32,000 of you&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1867,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[19006,19005,15876,2578,15819,159,2579,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-20418","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-science","8":"tag-https-nasawatch-com-ask-the-administrator-janet-petros-embrace-the-challenge-update-27-june-2025-voluntary-workforce-shaping-workforce","9":"tag-janet-petro","10":"tag-layoffs","11":"tag-personnel","12":"tag-rif","13":"tag-science","14":"tag-trumpspace","15":"tag-united-states","16":"tag-unitedstates","17":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114758139651404951","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20418","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20418"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20418\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20418"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}