NASA responded to news that Boeing aims to lay off up to 400 workers from its Space Launch System program. The SLS rocket plays a key role in the Artemis moon program, the agency said.

Boeing informed its employees working on NASA's Artemis program that it was preparing for as many as 400 layoffs connected to the giant rocket under development amid possible shakeups to the country's return-to-the-moon initiative, the company said.

Boeing informed its Space Launch System (SLS) team of potential layoffs, a worrying sign that NASA’s Moon rocket may be at risk after massive cost overruns and schedule delays. And also Trump.

Boeing announced Friday up to 400 of its workers within the SLS program could lose their jobs by April, putting future Artemis missions into question.

Boeing makes the Core Stage for the rocket, but SLS development has been slow and hit by frequent delays. It is also a costly way to get beyond Earth's orbit, but is the only way to send astronauts to the Moon for now. Aside from the Orion capsule on the top of the stack, it is also entirely expendable, unlike SpaceX's Starship.

Boeing has notified employees of possible layoffs due to potential changes in NASA’s Artemis program, a flagship initiative to extend human and commercial space operations from low Earth orbit into cislunar space and the Moon’s surface.

The Trump administration's potential cancellation of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) program could lead to hundreds of Boeing workers losing their jobs.

Boeing warned on Saturday of layoffs in its Space Launch System moon rocket program, saying it expects to have about 400 fewer positions in line with revisions to NASA's Artemis program and cost expectations.

On Friday, with less than an hour's notice, David Dutcher, Boeing's vice president and program manager for the SLS rocket, scheduled an all-hands meeting for the approximately 800 employees working on the program.