NASA is set to lose at least 2,145 senior staff members as part of the Trump administration's push for budget cuts, Politico reports. The brain drain could severely impact future research and missions, and is happening not long before the organization plans to send a new crew of astronauts to the Moon in 2026.

NASA's leadership change comes at a pivotal moment for the agency, which is already bracing for potentially severe funding cuts.

Over 2,145 senior NASA employees could leave as the Trump administration proposes a 25% budget cut. The potential layoffs, prompted by efforts to streamline federal spending, threaten NASA's operations,