NASA’s largest science center director resigns amid budget reductions

ANKARA

The director of NASA’s largest science center is stepping down next month amid budget cuts, according to media reports.

Makenzie Lystrup, director of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, is stepping down on Aug. 1, after just over two years in the role, Ars Technica reported Tuesday.

Her departure comes as the Trump administration proposes a 25% cut to NASA’s overall budget, with a significant impact on the agency’s science division.

"We’re grateful to Makenzie for her leadership at NASA Goddard for more than two years, including her work to inspire a Golden Age of explorers, scientists, and engineers," Vanessa Wyche, NASA's acting associate administrator, said in a statement.

Cynthia Simmons, the center’s deputy director, will assume the role of acting chief.

Goddard is NASA’s largest science-focused field center, managing missions such as the James Webb Space Telescope, Hubble, and the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope, currently under development.

Meanwhile, an open letter titled “The Voyager Declaration,” signed by hundreds of current and former NASA employees, criticizes recent policy changes, calling them wasteful, politically driven, and harmful to the agency’s mission. However, no direct link has been established between the letter and Lystrup’s resignation.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, NASA’s main hub for robotic space missions, has also faced significant setbacks. Managed by Caltech, JPL laid off over 10% of its workforce in 2024 due to budget uncertainty. Its director, Laurie Leshin, resigned in June.