BREVARD COUNTY, FL — As many as 126 employees working at NASA's Kennedy Space Center could lose their jobs by the end of the year as the agency prepares to shift portions of a major technology services contract to its own workforce.
Huntsville, Alabama-based Aetos Systems Inc. disclosed the potential layoffs in an Oct. 16 Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filed with FloridaCommerce.
According to the notice, Aetos currently operates as a subcontractor to Leidos under NASA's Advanced Enterprise Global Information Systems (AEGIS) contract, which provides information technology and related services.
However, portions of the company's work at Kennedy Space Center are expected to be removed from the contract and brought in-house by NASA between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31.
The company says this transition could result in the termination of up to 126 Aetos employees at the Brevard County facility.
Aetos said some or all of the affected employees who do not accept employment offers from NASA could be laid off by Dec. 31.
"As a result of this action by NASA, Aetos anticipates that some or all of its AEGIS Contract employees working in the affected scope areas who do not accept in-sourced offers from NASA will be terminated from employment by Aetos, by December 31, 2026," the company said.
Aetos Systems also indicated that NASA considers the change permanent.
The potential layoffs would affect a range of technical and specialized positions supporting operations at Kennedy Space Center, including communications systems engineers, electronic technicians, network technicians, instrumentation specialists and field systems specialists.
Other affected job classifications include senior CAD drafters, photo planners, systems planning specialists and training coordinators.
According to the filing, all 126 potentially affected workers are represented by labor unions.
Of those employees, 118 are represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2088, based in Merritt Island.
The remaining eight employees are represented by Local 780 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, which represents motion picture, video and laboratory technicians and other workers.
For positions not transferred to NASA, Aetos said any layoffs would be conducted in accordance with applicable collective bargaining agreements, including provisions governing seniority and displacement rights.
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