Boeing has issued a notification to employees involved in the Space Launch System (SLS) program, indicating potential job losses affecting up to 400 individuals. This decision follows "revisions to the Artemis program and cost expectations," according to a Boeing spokesperson. The specific roles targeted for elimination haven't been publicly disclosed but represent a substantial portion of Boeing's SLS workforce. “To align with revisions to the Artemis program and cost expectations, today we informed our Space Launch Systems team of the potential for approximately 400 fewer positions by April 2025,” a Boeing spokesperson stated. This will necessitate issuing 60-day layoff notices, compliant with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.

While NASA hasn't officially announced Artemis program revisions, a SpaceCom conference panel in January emphasized continued preparations for the Artemis 2 mission, slated for April 2026. Panelists highlighted the current architecture as the most efficient path to lunar human return. However, the Trump administration is considering significant architectural changes, potentially including the cancellation of key components like SLS and Orion. Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO, has publicly voiced criticism, characterizing the Artemis architecture as inefficient, prioritizing jobs over results. “Regarding space, the Artemis architecture is extremely inefficient, as it is a jobs-maximizing program, not a results-maximizing program,” he tweeted. “Something entirely new is needed.”

The SLS program has faced criticism since its inception, with some labeling it the “Senate Launch System” due to its origins in a 2010 NASA authorization act. Despite the Artemis 1 mission's success, concerns persist regarding SLS's high costs and infrequent launches. A NASA Office of Inspector General report in August revealed quality control issues with Boeing's work on the Exploration Upper Stage for the Block 1B SLS version. Potential SLS cancellations or substantial Artemis architecture alterations are likely to encounter congressional resistance, mirroring the 2010 opposition to the Obama administration's Constellation program cancellation. The vice-chair of the House Appropriations Committee's commerce, justice, and science subcommittee, Rep. Dale Strong (R-Ala.), whose district includes NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, the lead center for SLS, is particularly noteworthy in this context. “The flight vehicle was proved out on Artemis 1. It was a terrific mission,” noted John Shannon, mission area vice president for Boeing Space Exploration. Dave Dutcher, Boeing SLS program manager, added, “This is our second one and there are a lot of lessons learned. It’s a much cleaner vehicle throughout the build and test than the first one.”