DOGE's Mystery Mission at NASA: What's Really Going On?

Lawmakers want to know more about DOGE's activities at NASA. They think NASA hasn't been clear enough about what DOGE is up to. NASA said DOGE found someone to work at NASA, but didn't say who or what they'll do. Lawmakers want to know who this person is and what they'll do. They're worried about conflicts of interest because the person in charge of DOGE is also the CEO of SpaceX. DOGE is supposed to find ways to save money. They canceled a subscription to a news service at NASA, but it didn't save any money. NASA said there won't be big layoffs for now. Some employees are leaving early through a buyout program. NASA says it's committed to keeping a strong workforce. Lawmakers asked NASA 11 questions about DOGE. They want to know about the person DOGE sent to NASA, their access to secret information, and how NASA is handling conflicts of interest. They want answers by March 7. NASA said DOGE is looking at contracts to find savings. But so far, DOGE hasn't found any real savings at NASA. Lawmakers are concerned about DOGE's power to send someone to NASA without NASA's say-so. They think this makes it even more important for them to oversee what DOGE is doing. DOGE is led by the CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk. This has raised concerns about conflicts of interest. NASA said it has strict rules to handle these conflicts. But lawmakers think NASA needs to explain more about how it's doing this. NASA said it's committed to keeping a strong workforce. But some employees are leaving early through a buyout program. NASA said it's monitoring employee performance to make sure it has an efficient workforce.