NASA has announced a 420 million dollar cut in consulting contracts and other suppliers. It is a strangely familiar number.
A cut commanded by Doge. Although NASA has not given many details, the contracts to be cut are considered “redundant” or “misaligned with the essential priorities” of the agency, following the guidelines of the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), the auditor body created by Donald Trump and headed by Elon Musk.
From canceled contracts, the largest cut comes from the NASA socio -economic application and data center, valued at about 30 million dollars, although with an effective savings of 19.4 million. Other of the confirmed cancellations are four agreements of 15 million dollars each with the firms of consulting Booz Allen Hamilton, Deloitte, Guidehouse and McKinsey & Co. The termination of these and other contracts will mean a saving of 420 million dollars for NASA.
Elon Musk’s favorite number. There is an extraordinary coincidence in this matter and it is Elon Musk’s love for number 420. The founder of Spacex He likes to remember which was born 69 days after April 20 (4/20, in American format). But the number 420 became more present in his life since a club was smoked during the Joe Rogan podcast. “420” It is a reference to the “time of smoking marijuana”, 4 and 20 in the afternoon.
For Musk also represents the day that He withdrew the verified blue check to X users who had it for free since the time of Twitter (04/20/2023). Wave First starship in history to be stacked (Booster 4 + Ship 20). Or one of the most transcendental tweets of his career: when he announced that I was going to privatize Tesla at a price of $ 420 per share.
NASA scientists are worried. While only consulting cuts have transcended, the scientific community that depends on the space agency is concerned about the possibility of even greater or layoffs (of which NASA, for now, for now only He has seen 23 for the closure of three offices).
Although less affected than diversity programs, Doge cuts also focus on branches of health, climate and natural resources, which NASA investigates. In addition, it is rumored that the 2026 budget for the agency’s scientific programs could be drastically reduced (up to 50%, According to Space News).
Musk’s conflict of interest. While Doge is not an official government department, and therefore Elon Musk is not a senior official, the most complicated issue of all is that the employer is positioned to obtain multimillionaire contracts from the federal government.
The Pentagon has already demonstrated its interest in Starship as a military transport, and NASA depends on the rocket to take astronauts to the moon. Starlink is also a key strategic asset for the United States, and Spacex is building a spy version called Starshield for the NRO. Finally, Trump’s nominee to direct NASA is Jared Isaacman, Musk’s commercial partner in two of Spacex’s most important commercial missions.
Image | Elon Musk (X)
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