NASA exploration program chief Craig Steidle has resigned, the first of 50 senior managers asked to resign or accept new jobs.
Nature, quoting a memo posted on the Web site NASAwatch.com, said the resignation is part of a shakeup being orchestrated by new NASA Administrator Michael Griffin.
Bob Chesson, head of the European Space Agency's manned spaceflight operations in Noordwijk, Netherlands, said Griffin likely will replace managers with people who have hands-on experience.
"Griffin will bring back technical leadership as well as looking after the budget," Chesson told Nature. "He wants a similar set-up to the Apollo days."
Chesson said he talked with Steidle Wednesday and Steidle confirmed a number of other managers would be leaving.
A NASA spokesman could not confirm the number of people affected.
"These things will come out in ones and twos over the next few weeks," spokesman Robert Mirelson said.
