Several employers are having problems in finding employees and now NASA is one of them.
A new report has been released by the agency’s Office of Investigator General which stated that the astronaut corps is shrinking, and it has not been like this since the 1970s. In fact, NASA has just 44 astronauts now which is alarming. It had a peak number of 150 astronauts in 2000.
This is raising concerns for the agency as it has huge goals to meet like returning humans to the Moon in the coming years.
The report revealed that “the astronaut corps is projected to fall below its targeted size or minimum manifest requirement in fiscal year (FY) 2022 and FY 2023 due to attrition and additional space flight manifest needs,” adding that the “Astronaut Office calculated that the corps size would exactly equal the number of flight manifest seats NASA will need in FY 2022.”
“As a result, the Agency may not have a sufficient number of additional astronauts available for unanticipated attrition and crew reassignments or ground roles such as engaging in program development, staffing Astronaut Office leadership, and liaison positions, and serving as spokespeople for the Agency,” the report continued. “In light of the expanding space flight opportunities anticipated for the Artemis missions, the corps might be at risk of being misaligned in the future, resulting in disruptive crew reorganizations or mission delays.”
After the agency announced that the Space Shuttle missions would be largely discontinued, they experienced an astronaut attrition rate of 11.1 percent — or roughly 10 astronauts a year between 2004 and 2012.
NASA has hired a new team. However, even with those astronauts on board, the agency needs more people as its missions cannot be accomplished without them. Benefits of being employed at NASA include health insurance, extended work-related travel, and exciting hands-on experiences.