India, July 26 -- Roughly 20% of the workforce at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is set to depart the agency, a spokesperson confirmed Friday, marking a significant shift as the space agency grapples with restructuring under the Trump administration's broader push to reduce the size of the federal government.

Approximately 3,870 NASA employees have opted to leave through the government's Deferred Resignation Program, though the agency noted the figure may change in the coming weeks as applications are finalized or withdrawn. After the resignations and natural attrition are accounted for, NASA expects to maintain a civil servant workforce of about 14,000.

The reduction, described by the agency as an effort to become...