Whistleblowers Say NASA Is Poised to Kill an Astronaut

[Elderberry]

Futurism By Sharon Adarlo 9/30/2025

"No one is coming to save us."

NASA whistleblowers claim that President Donald Trump’s drastic changes to the space agency are imperiling safety to such a degree that insiders have become “very concerned that we’re going to see an astronaut death within a few years.”

That’s according to a blockbuster report from the US Senate.

“I see safety issues around us all the time,” one whistleblower lamented in it.

The chilling warning comes as a new culture of fear and silence has descended on NASA after Trump officials instituted dramatic staff reductions, along with alleged unilateral budget cuts and the gagging of an important program that allows people to air safety and performance issues without fear of reprisals, according to the report released by Democrats on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

If they want to keep their jobs, NASA workers now know they have to “keep their heads down” if they have any concerns, according to the report.

Though NASA has a robust culture of safety, tragedy has occasionally struck. Three astronauts were killed during training for the Apollo 1 Moon mission in 1967, seven crew members perished in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, and seven more died when Space Shuttle Columbia was destroyed in 2003.

Those deaths hang heavy over the agency, so seeing the shredding of NASA’s workplace safety is rattling.

More: https://futurism.com/space/nasa-whistleblowers-budget-astronaut

[DefiantMassRINO]

At least Trump hasn't stranded astronauts in space, like Biden did.

At least Trump hasn't stopped American manned space missions, like Obama did.  Our astronauts had to hitch rides on Russian rockets.

[BobfromWB]

At least Trump hasn't stranded astronauts in space, like Biden did.

At least Trump hasn't stopped American manned space missions, like Obama did.  Our astronauts had to hitch rides on Russian rockets.

All true, but now with extra vigor form 47 to dismantle NASA and end US efforts in space, 47 has cut NASA's budget so fine that there is little doubt that not only will the US not colonize the Moon, but will potentially lose people, as 47 dives them over a safety cliff.

China, of course, will rise not only as the ascendant power on Earth, but with control or the Moon and everything between, become the predominant power in all things space, all due thanks to 47's abject hatred of NASA and the US manned space program. Why else would you appoint a TV talk show host to head NASA?

[DefiantMassRINO]

Many of the functions served by NASA are now being fulfilled by private companies as space becomes more commercialized.

[catfish1957]

We heard all this doom and gloom bs  during the early DOGE work.  Any of it pan out?

[GtHawk]

I wonder if any of these whistleblowers are from among those no longer employed by NASA, who have been doing such a bang up job with Boeing using decades old technology and poor quality control with the added features of major cost overruns and delay delay delay.

[berdie]

We heard all this doom and gloom bs  during the early DOGE work.  Any of it pan out?

Seems that this article is a "might happen".

[rustynail]

Mark Kelly?

[Smokin Joe]

Apollo 1

Virgil "Gus" Grissom,
Ed White,
Roger Chaffee

Challenger
Commander Francis R. Scobee,
Pilot Michael J. Smith,
Mission Specialists Ronald McNair,
Ellison Onizuka,
Judith Resnik,
Gregory Jarvis,
Payload Specialist Christa McAuliffe.

Columbia
Commander Rick Husband,
Pilot William McCool,
Payload Commander Michael Anderson,
Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla,
David Brown,
Laurel Clark,
Israeli Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon

Might kill AN astronaut?
Seems NASA has been doing just fine on its own.

[BobfromWB]

Many of the functions served by NASA are now being fulfilled by private companies as space becomes more commercialized.

Just a handful of jobs. No one is doing manned space except NASA and SpaceX to some degree.

[BobfromWB]

We heard all this doom and gloom bs  during the early DOGE work.  Any of it pan out?

Yes it did - the result was massive cuts to NASA's already shoestring budget.

[Kamaji]

Just a handful of jobs. No one is doing manned space except NASA and SpaceX to some degree.

To what extent is that because government rules prohibit most private companies from participating in the space economy?

[BobfromWB]

Seems NASA has been doing just fine on its own.

Space is dangerous. But the point is that safety is being sacrificed intentionally, whereas it the case you sight, safety was paramount.

[catfish1957]

Yes it did - the result was massive cuts to NASA's already shoestring budget.

Hasn't most of NASA functionality already been contracted out anyway?  That might skew the perception of dollars and cents applied.

[BobfromWB]

Hasn't most of NASA functionality already been contracted out anyway?  That might skew the perception of dollars and cents applied.

No.

[berdie]

Apollo 1

Virgil "Gus" Grissom,
Ed White,
Roger Chaffee

Challenger
Commander Francis R. Scobee,
Pilot Michael J. Smith,
Mission Specialists Ronald McNair,
Ellison Onizuka,
Judith Resnik,
Gregory Jarvis,
Payload Specialist Christa McAuliffe.

Columbia
Commander Rick Husband,
Pilot William McCool,
Payload Commander Michael Anderson,
Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla,
David Brown,
Laurel Clark,
Israeli Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon

Might kill AN astronaut?
Seems NASA has been doing just fine on its own.

Good point!

[Smokin Joe]

Space is dangerous. But the point is that safety is being sacrificed intentionally, whereas it the case you sight, safety was paramount.

Apollo 1, was a lesson, learned at the expense of three astronauts. Never again was a pure O2 atmosphere used.

As for Challenger, You should have seen Richard Feynman pull the piece of O-ring material out of the icewater and snap it. The Challenger launch was rushed to stay on schedule, despite temperatures being low, and that led to the explosion. An O-ring failed, venting exhaust gasses from one of the SRBs onto the Hydrogen fuel tank.

As for Columbia, insulating foam failures and wing strikes were already known. Someone dismissed the potential seriousness of that. Why was there no EVA to check damage, and no means to repair it?

[BobfromWB]

Apollo 1, was a lesson, learned at the expense of three astronauts. Never again was a pure O2 atmosphere used.

As for Challenger, You should have seen Richard Feynman pull the piece of O-ring material out of the icewater and snap it. The Challenger launch was rushed to stay on schedule, despite temperatures being low, and that led to the explosion. An O-ring failed, venting exhaust gasses from one of the SRBs onto the Hydrogen fuel tank.

As for Columbia, insulating foam failures and wing strikes were already known. Someone dismissed the potential seriousness of that. Why was there no EVA to check damage, and no means to repair it?

You should have seen ... I did.