95 percent of NASA employees are currently sidelined (Image: GETTY)
The shutdown, which has now entered its fourth week, centres on a battle of wills between Mr Trump and the US Congress over $5.7billion he wants them to agree to fund construction of his wall along the country’s border with Mexico. As a result, more than 800,000 federal employees have been found themselves sidelined. NASA has been particularly badly affected, with just five percent of its workforce able to do their jobs.
Most of its scientists are among those unable to work.
As a result, a prestigious meeting of the American American Astronomical Society (AAS) between January 6 and 10 in Seattle, Washington was an early casualty.
More than 250 pre-paid badges were never collected, explained AAS’s executive officer Kevin Marvel.
Most of these were for federal employees from NASA, the Smithsonian, and other programmes programs.
The Government shutdown means many federal employees cannot work (Image: GETTY)
Up to 1200 other federal scientists are expected to miss the American Meteorological Society's January annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona,as well as the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics SciTech Forum and Exposition in San Diego, California.
Speaking to Cosmos magazine, one space scientist, who asked to remain anonymous, said friends in NASA were not permitted to travel to take vital astronomical measurements for a project which was in all other ways complete.
Because of the nature of the stellar phenomenon, it meant the research opportunity was lost, along with everything involved in setting it up.
The scientist explained: “It’s a waste of money as well as talent.”
US President Donald Trump paid for hundreds of burgers to be delivered to the White House (Image: GETTY)
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