United Space Alliance, one of the companies that has been tasked by NASA over the years to take care of the space shuttles announced last week it will have to let go nearly half of its workers, for the simple reason that it has no use for them anymore. That means that some 2,800 workers will be left without a job, from one contractor alone.
According to United Space Alliance, most of the workers will have to leave the company in July and August, following the last mission of the last shuttle to take off, the Atlantis. All of the contractor's sites are targeted for the lay off measures.
"The accomplishments of this team are unmatched in human spaceflight," Virginia Barnes, United Space Alliance CEO said according to Space.com. "It will be difficult to say goodbye to such tremendously talented and dedicated teammates, and we are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible for them."
"Though USA will be a significantly smaller company after the space shuttle program is completed, we are optimistic about our future," Barnes said. "USA has a great deal to offer in the way of skills, experience and expertise, and we are looking forward to providing our unique capabilities to a wide variety of new and existing customers."
It is unclear (although to be expected) if the end of the shuttle program will cause even more jobs than the ones this contractor will be forced to scrap. The program drew over the years countless partners in NASA's portfolio, so it's likely similar announcements will follow throughout the year.
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