NASA Watch
March 31, 2025
NASAWatch Is 29
NASAWatch is 29 — Grok via NASAWatch
Keith’s Note: on this date 1 April 1996, NASA (RIF) Watch was born with this posting. No kidding. “Editor’s note: From a well-placed source at NASA HQ who participated in this meeting: Mal Peterson (NASA HQ Comptroller’s Office) personally briefed NASA program managers (Centers and HQ) yesterday (27 March) and gave instructions for planning and implementing a RIF by Summer 1997, the reduction to be completed by October 1998, to a total complement level of 17,500, as called for by the President for the year 2000, to be completed by 1998. … Vugraphs were shown concerning “the value of fear in managing corporate-downsizing.” (That is a direct quote) They have statistics on the number of personnel supposed to be within retirement range and everyone will be encouraged to retire asap, though these numbers will not prevent a RIF.”
Tony Reichardt holds the honor of making the first public media mention in an Internet posting. This article in Government Executive was one of the first times NASA RIFWatch was noticed. “Rogue Webmasters – Want the real scoop on agency cuts? Try these unofficial Web sites.” “On the NASA Rif Watch site, Cowing posts documents that agency employees send him concerning NASA policy and personnel issues. They include information on buyout plans, news articles on NASA policy, papers on the direction of NASA’s mission, and press releases from the agency. New information is posted daily. By contrast an official NASA RIF Page, sponsored by the Office of Space Science, has been updated only three times in the past four months.”
NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.