[SatNews] Fifteen percent of the employees of this space operations firm will soon be unemployed.

United Space Alliance announced today the company will layoff about 15 percent of its current Space Shuttle workforce, effective October 1, 2010, in order to align the workforce level with the company’s Space Shuttle Program Operations contract work scope and current budget. Only two missions remain in the Space Shuttle Program — STS-133, currently scheduled for no earlier than November 1, 2010, and STS-134 set for February 26, 2011. USA employs approximately 8,100 employees at its Florida, Texas, and Alabama sites. The reduction in force will affect multiple disciplines and multiple organizations across the company. It is expected to impact about 800-1,000 employees in Florida, about 300-400 employees in Texas, and about 10 Alabama. All employees subject to the layoff will receive severance compensation and access to support for resume development, job interview training, and career transition training.