Department of Space vacancy rate at 25-year high; nearly 3 in 10 posts lie vacant

Department of Space vacancy rate reached a 25-year high with 5,632 of 20,269 sanctioned posts vacant, staffing at 72.2%.

Vacancy rate worsened from nearly 86% staffing in 2019-20 to just over 72% in 2025-26, despite ambitious missions.

Staffing levels declined every year since 2019-20, with employee strength falling by about 2,600 to 14,637.

Vacancies disproportionately affect scientific and technical personnel, who design satellites, launch vehicles, and deep-space missions.

Efforts are underway to fill over 2,000 vacancies by late 2026 to rebuild the workforce while retaining experienced scientists.