NASA center in Va may cut contractor work force

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The large contractor workforce at NASA’s Langley Research Center could soon shrink as a result of automatic federal spending cuts that took effect earlier this month, according to NASA officials.

The Hampton facility has about 1,900 civil servants and 1,700 contract workers who are employed by a variety of private companies. Among other things, workers at Langley conduct space technology, aeronautics and atmospheric research. The center’s civil servants and contractors also participate in a variety of educational and public outreach programs that sometimes take them out of state.