Maryland Delegation Members Press Administration for Answers on Reported Changes at NASA Goddard

Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks and U.S. Representatives Steny Hoyer, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, Glenn Ivey, Sarah Elfreth, April McClain Delaney, and Johnny Olszewski (all D-Md.) pressed National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Acting Administrator Sean Duffy, to provide detailed answers on reported consolidation and reorganization activities at the NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland. In their letter, the delegation members highlighted Goddard's legacy of groundbreaking achievements over the years - including its leadership in the development of GPS technology as well as the Hubble and James Webb telescopes - and expressed grave concern that recent operational changes will impact its research capabilities, undermine Goddard's workforce, and threaten to drive top scientists to space programs abroad. The lawmakers requested answers to a series of questions around recently reported changes and urged acting Administrator Duffy to safeguard Goddard's status as a world-leading space and earth science institution by keeping its workforce stable and sustaining its world-class research capacity.

"The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland is the premiere Space and Earth Science research center in the world. Goddard's research and innovation has helped us answer questions about our planet, the Sun, the solar system, and the Universe. The dedicated civil servant scientists, engineers, and contractors who work at Goddard's facilities from Greenbelt, to the Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops, Virginia, to the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas have pushed scientific boundaries. Decades of pathbreaking work mean that today, the Global Positioning System (GPS) that we all rely on daily for navigation, the satellites that help us map fires for large scale firefighting, and telescopes in outer space are all being operated by the experts at the Goddard Space Flight Center. We urge you to support the patriotic Americans that do this essential work on behalf of our country and the world and ensure that they have the resources they need to lead the United States to new frontiers," the lawmakers wrote.

"Unfortunately, actions taken during the last nine months threaten the workers at Goddard and their ability to lead the world in this science and exploration. Between unnecessary voluntary separations, deferred resignations, reductions in force, and other pressure, thousands of civil servants and contractors are no longer working at GSFC," they continued. "Other countries with space programs from our political allies to our adversaries have been recruiting our top scientists and researchers with massive salaries, research budgets, and the promise of stability. Where the US has considered stepping back, China has made clear they are eager to step in. We can and must re-invest in the people and centers that make America the global space leader and that starts with Goddard.

"To that end, we have heard from employees and read reports about activities taking place on the Greenbelt campus that have raised questions among the workforce about the motivations and timing of building consolidations and such moves may affect institutional research capabilities," the lawmakers wrote, going on to list a series of questions for the acting Administrator's response regarding the building consolidations, the impact on the Center's technological capabilities, plans to ensure readiness for future scheduled missions, and the number of employees tasked with carrying out these operational changes during the government shutdown, among others.

The lawmakers' questions follow:

1. When did NASA finalize plans to consolidate buildings on Goddard's Greenbelt campus and what is the justification for the GSFC Greenbelt campus consolidation?
2. 1. Was a cost/benefit analysis performed before finalizing any plans? If so, please provide any such analysis.
   2. How much is Goddard expecting to save in utility and deferred maintenance costs by the consolidation?
   3. How much will the consolidation cost?
   4. How do the moves align with the 20-year master plan for the GSFC Greenbelt campus?
3. What facilities changes have taken place at GSFC Greenbelt campus in 2025? Please include a list of affected buildings and explanation of the changes.
4. 1. What facilities changes have taken place at GSFC since October 1, 2025?
   2. What is the justification for moves occurring since October 1, 2025, during the lapse of appropriations?
   3. Are any further moves planned for 2025?
   4. If so, when are they expected to start?
5. Have any technological capabilities been impacted by moves at Goddard's Greenbelt campus?
6. 1. If yes, what capabilities?
   2. Has any operable equipment been modified, recycled, or destroyed?
   3. What plans does NASA have for the Goddard ElectroMagnetic Anechoic Chamber (GEMAC) that had been housed in Building 19?
   4. Have any capabilities necessary for the completion of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope been impacted, including by the closure of the propulsion laboratory in Building 11?
   5. How is Goddard going to mitigate these losses for design and construction of future missions?
   6. Please provide all analysis performed by NASA to determine what technological capabilities Goddard will require going forward to execute future missions, such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory.
7. How many civil servants at NASA Goddard have been called back to campus since October 1, 2025, during the lapse of appropriations for the purposes of packing up their offices or laboratories?

Text of the letter can be viewed here and below.

Dear Acting Administrator Duffy:

The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland is the premiere Space and Earth Science research center in the world. Goddard's research and innovation has helped us answer questions about our planet, the Sun, the solar system, and the Universe. The dedicated civil servant scientists, engineers, and contractors who work at Goddard's facilities from Greenbelt, to the Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops, Virginia, to the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas have pushed scientific boundaries. Decades of pathbreaking work mean that today, the Global Positioning System (GPS) that we all rely on daily for navigation, the satellites that help us map fires for large scale firefighting, and telescopes in outer space are all being operated by the experts at the Goddard Space Flight Center. We urge you to support the patriotic Americans that do this essential work on behalf of our country and the world and ensure that they have the resources they need to lead the United States to new frontiers.

The Space program in the United States has always been driven by curiosity and ambition to discover more about ourselves and the galaxy around us. From Project Mercury, our first human spaceflight program, to the Artemis Campaign that seeks to establish a sustained American presence on the Moon, Goddard has been involved at every turn. Scientific instruments developed at GSFC have been sent to every planet in our solar system. The Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope, two of the most significant technological advancements in space imaging in human history, were developed and continue to be operated out of Goddard. This historic work provides the foundation for upcoming missions like the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and the Habitable Worlds Observatory, which will serve to advance American leadership and global understanding of deep space, dark energy, and the search for planets capable of sustaining life.

Unfortunately, actions taken during the last nine months threaten the workers at Goddard and their ability to lead the world in this science and exploration. Between unnecessary voluntary separations, deferred resignations, reductions in force, and other pressure, thousands of civil servants and contractors are no longer working at GSFC. Other countries with space programs from our political allies to our adversaries have been recruiting our top scientists and researchers with massive salaries, research budgets, and the promise of stability. Where the US has considered stepping back, China has made clear they are eager to step in. We can and must re-invest in the people and centers that make America the global space leader and that starts with Goddard.

We believe that any consolidation on the Greenbelt campus must sustain the world-class capabilities of Goddard for future science and exploration missions and comply with all applicable laws. Because we lack clarity as to what moves are currently taking place on campus, what technological capabilities are being impacted, and what these changes mean for the workforce, we request you provide answers to the following questions by November 17, 2025.

1. When did NASA finalize plans to consolidate buildings on Goddard's Greenbelt campus and what is the justification for the GSFC Greenbelt campus consolidation?
2. 1. Was a cost/benefit analysis performed before finalizing any plans? If so, please provide any such analysis.
   2. How much is Goddard expecting to save in utility and deferred maintenance costs by the consolidation?
   3. How much will the consolidation cost?
   4. How do the moves align with the 20-year master plan for the GSFC Greenbelt campus?
3. What facilities changes have taken place at GSFC Greenbelt campus in 2025? Please include a list of affected buildings and explanation of the changes.
4. 1. What facilities changes have taken place at GSFC since October 1, 2025?
   2. What is the justification for moves occurring since October 1, 2025, during the lapse of appropriations?
   3. Are any further moves planned for 2025?
   4. If so, when are they expected to start?
5. Have any technological capabilities been impacted by moves at Goddard's Greenbelt campus?
6. 1. If yes, what capabilities?
   2. Has any operable equipment been modified, recycled, or destroyed?
   3. What plans does NASA have for the Goddard ElectroMagnetic Anechoic Chamber (GEMAC) that had been housed in Building 19?
   4. Have any capabilities necessary for the completion of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope been impacted, including by the closure of the propulsion laboratory in Building 11?
   5. How is Goddard going to mitigate these losses for design and construction of future missions?
   6. Please provide all analysis performed by NASA to determine what technological capabilities Goddard will require going forward to execute future missions, such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory.
7. How many civil servants at NASA Goddard have been called back to campus since October 1, 2025, during the lapse of appropriations for the purposes of packing up their offices or laboratories?