The agency previously announced a rollback of environmental regulation, eliminated some probationary workers and put other workers on administrative leave.
Without scientist Kseniia Petrova’s expertise, no one can fully unlock the data’s potential, putting crucial advancements in early cancer detection at risk.
"There’s always an opportunity to make a connection with the universe," said one member of the group that meets monthly to stargaze and invites others to do the same.
The unusual letter caught the attention of First Amendment groups and some scientists, who raised concerns it was designed to suppress academic and scientific freedom.
It will be the second asteroid encounter for the spacecraft, which launched in 2021 on a quest to better understand when planets were forming in our early solar system.