The can-do attitude of the past is waning.
People are afraid to take risks.
Major programs that are failing are taking funding away from the technological investments that are needed to take us further into the solar system or advance scientific discovery. No one wants to stand up and say that the programs are failing because they're afraid of upsetting congressional constituents.
NASA is a bait and switch. Advertisements and recruiting info say NASA is doing all these incredible missions and technology development. What they really should say is NASA is buying these incredible missions and technology development. This works for some people. If you're ok with exploring concepts that likely will never go beyond concept stage, work at NASA. If you're ok with writing requirements and then watching prime contractors do the design and development work from the periphery, work at NASA. If you want to contribute your own ideas, see them come to life and fly in space, don't work at NASA. Those opportunities are sparse if not non existent.
So much inertia in the very aged workforce that most efforts to do things differently and more efficiently will likely be squashed or the people trying to do things better will get burnt out and leave.
There is no incentive for dealing with poor performers.
If you're in a PR, outreach, administrative or oversight role, morale is great. If you're in a technical position, morale is not as great.
