Pasadena, California – NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California is facing another round of layoffs, impacting about 5% of its workforce. The layoffs, announced on Tuesday, are part of adjustments necessary to adhere to budget constraints while continuing crucial work for NASA and the nation.
JPL, responsible for managing high-profile robotic missions like the Perseverance and Curiosity Mars rovers, mentioned that the impacts of the layoffs will be felt across technical, business, and support areas. This move comes after another round of layoffs in February, which affected 8% of JPL’s workforce due to a reduction in funding for Mars sample return missions.
The recent layoffs were not directly tied to the Mars sample return mission, according to JPL officials. Rather, the cuts were made in response to funding shortfalls and the forecasted work ahead. JPL Director Laurie Leshin emphasized that the layoffs were necessary regardless of the recent presidential election outcome.
Despite the layoffs, Leshin expressed optimism that there would not be a need for further layoffs in the foreseeable future. The goal is to maintain a stable workforce of about 5,500 regular employees at JPL to support the upcoming projects. While uncertainty remains regarding future budgets, the hope is to be well-positioned for the work ahead.
The entire MSR architecture is currently under review due to its high cost estimates. An independent review board previously estimated the price tag for the mission to return material collected by Perseverance back to Earth in the 2030s to be between $8 billion to $11 billion. These budget challenges have contributed to the need for the recent round of layoffs at JPL.
Ultimately, the layoffs at JPL represent a difficult but necessary step to ensure the lab can continue its vital work for NASA. The hope is to navigate the budget constraints and emerge with a stable workforce ready to tackle future planetary exploration missions.