Layoffs Hit NASA as Moon Program Stops

While officials in Washington celebrate the signing of the new NASA authorization bill into law, things are not so merry for the 877 United Space Alliance workers who have just lost their jobs because of it.

The workers, which were also joined in getting fired by 200 other contractor employees, are the first wave of layoffs to hit NASA, and there are many others still to come.

According to estimates, more than 8,000 people will lose their jobs by the time the American space shuttle program is retired.

This will happen beyond June 2011, as President Obama's recently-approved space vision has just allowed for an additional flight by shuttle Atlantis.

Back to the workers that were fired from Cape Canaveral, no one can say that they were not warned about losing their jobs in time. In fact, they knew about it for months.

But, on October 1, many of them realized what that meant, when they had to return their company and NASA access cards over at the gate, before leaving the grounds for good.

The layoff notices for these people were issued about two months ago, and so most of them had a chance to at least try and find new work. This is proving difficult even for such highly-skilled workers.

Psychologists say that, while it's normal to grieve the loss of a position in a company, former employees must not sulk and balk for a long time, but rather try and remain positive.

“There will be a tomorrow, like it or not. What you choose to do with that tomorrow is your wish,” explains Palm Bay psychologist Dr. Wayne Stein.

He is a Brevard Community College professor who is involved in organizing workshops to benefit employees who have just lost their job on the shuttle program.

But the expert reveals that one of the things that the former USA employees fail to recognize is their own role in one of the most ambitious and complex space exploration endeavors ever undertaken.

“Your pride is taking a major hit. But they've already established themselves with a place in history with what they've accomplished,” Stein explains.

The US shuttle program is slowly coming to a halt, as activities related to supporting shuttle operations are slowly grinding to a halt.

While things at the Kennedy Space Center continue to be active, other facilities around the country that produce shuttle parts are already closing down their activities.

All components for the remaining ISS missions have already been produced, and some even have spares, Space reports.