**Boeing to Lay Off 400 Workers in Space Launch System Program**
Approximately 400 employees at Boeing’s Space Launch System (SLS) moon rocket program are facing job losses following the company’s announcement on Saturday regarding layoffs linked to adjustments in NASA’s Artemis program and revised cost expectations. In the upcoming weeks, Boeing will provide 60-day notices of involuntary layoffs to those affected. The Seattle-based aerospace manufacturer is also collaborating with its clients to explore opportunities for employee redeployment.
A Boeing spokesperson stated via email, “We are working with our customer and seeking opportunities to redeploy employees across our company to minimize job losses.” The 400 positions represent over one-third of the workforce dedicated to the SLS program. Under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Kelly Ortberg, Boeing is reducing its workforce and streamlining its operations.
The Artemis program, which is projected to cost $93 billion through 2025, was initiated by NASA during President Donald Trump’s administration. This program aims to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since NASA’s Apollo 17 mission. The SLS rocket made its inaugural launch in November 2022 after more than a decade of development, successfully sending an uncrewed capsule around the moon as part of the Artemis program’s first major test flight.
In a separate announcement, Boeing projected that Indian and South Asian airlines will expand their fleets by adding 2,835 commercial aircraft over the next 20 years, representing a four-fold increase from current levels. This forecast is an increase from the previous estimate of 2,705 jets issued last year. Ashwin Naidu, Boeing’s managing director of commercial marketing for India and South Asia, noted, “People will have greater access to air travel, and the region’s airlines will require a modern fuel-efficient fleet to meet increased demand over the next two decades.