NASA Shuts Down Largest Research Library at Goddard, Agency Head Clarifies No Scientific Knowledge Is Being Tossed Away

Washington / Greenbelt, January 3:
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has officially closed its largest and oldest research library located at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, as part of a broader infrastructure reorganisation and cost-cutting exercise. Established in 1959, the library played a critical role in supporting NASA scientists, engineers and researchers for more than six decades, housing tens of thousands of books, technical manuals, journals and historical documents related to space science missions. The closure comes amid NASA’s plan to shut down several ageing facilities across the Goddard campus by March 2026 to address rising maintenance costs and modernise operations, with a greater shift towards digital access and centralised resources.

Following public concern and media reports suggesting that valuable books and research materials would be “tossed away,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman issued a strong clarification, stating that such interpretations were misleading. He asserted that NASA is not discarding important scientific or historical knowledge and that all materials are undergoing a structured review process. According to officials, selected collections will be preserved in government archives or transferred to other institutions, while duplicate or outdated materials will be handled in line with federal guidelines. NASA reiterated that the decision reflects evolving research practices and space-efficient management, assuring scientists that access to critical information will remain uninterrupted through digital repositories and collaborative networks.