NASA is back to work, but the effects of the government shutdown linger
This week, thousands of civil servants and contractors are back at work at NASA’s various centers throughout the country following a record 35-day government shutdown — but it will be a while before it’s work as usual again at the agency. These first few days back on the job will be consumed with practical matters, such as figuring out employee backpay and how to dive back into projects. The shutdown will undoubtedly result in delays for some of NASA’s long-term programs, too, but it’ll be a while before the space agency can fully assess the extent of the damage.
One way to think of it is that NASA was just closed for one-tenth of the year, says Casey Dreier, chief advocate and senior space policy adviser at The Planetary Society. “You...