Boeing has informed its employees working on the Space Launch System (SLS) program that up to 400 positions may be eliminated due to changes in the company’s Artemis program and cost expectations. The announcement was made to employees on February 7. However, no details were provided regarding which positions would be affected.
A Boeing spokesperson told SpaceNews, “In line with the revisions in the Artemis program and cost targets, we plan to eliminate approximately 400 positions from the SLS team by April 2025. This requires us to notify affected employees 60 days in advance, in accordance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act,” the spokesperson stated.
Exploring Alternative Roles for Employees
The spokesperson emphasized that the company is exploring redeployment options across the organization to minimize job losses. Bloomberg was the first to report the planned layoffs, and the WARN Act mandates that employees be informed of mass layoffs ahead of time.
NASA has not announced any revisions to the Artemis program. At the SpaceCom conference held on January 29, preparations for the Artemis 2 mission, planned for April 2026, were said to be ongoing. NASA officials maintain that the current architecture remains the fastest way to return humans to the Moon.
Criticism of SLS and Artemis Architecture by the Trump Administration
The Trump administration is considering changes to projects like SLS and Orion. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk criticized the Artemis architecture on social media, saying, “This program maximizes costs rather than functioning. A completely new approach is needed.”
SLS has been criticized since its inception for its high costs and low flight frequency. Some have referred to it as the “Senate Launch System,” claiming that Congress has inflated the costs.
Success of Artemis 1 and Future Plans
SLS completed its first flight in 2022 with the Artemis 1 mission. Boeing’s Vice President of Space Exploration, John Shannon, described the mission as a “tremendous success” but noted that only minor changes to business processes were being made for Artemis 2.
However, a report from NASA’s Office of Inspector General highlighted quality issues in the work on the Exploration Upper Stage, the new upper stage for SLS.
Potential Opposition from Congress
Attempts to cancel SLS or make radical changes to the Artemis architecture could face resistance from some members of Congress. Representatives like Dale Strong, who represents the region containing NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, are expected to strongly support the SLS program.
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