🚀NASA Lays Off 570 at JPL Dreams Crushed, Futures Uncertain🪐
FEBRUARY 28: Exterior view of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on February 28, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California faces a significant workforce reduction, with approximately 530 employees and 40 contractors set to lose their jobs, constituting about 8% of the facility’s workforce. The layoffs come amidst budget uncertainties and a lack of appropriation from Congress for the fiscal year 2024, forcing JPL to make difficult decisions to align with budget constraints.
The agency attributes the layoffs to the necessity of adhering to budget allocations while continuing vital work for NASA and the nation. The uncertain budget situation stems from the funding required for the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission. NASA has proposed to receive nearly $950 million in its 2024 budget, although the final budget remains undetermined.
Despite the success of MSR initiatives thus far, including the Perseverance rover’s discovery of soil samples with organic matter on Mars, continued uncertainty over funding could jeopardize the mission’s future, potentially leading to its cancellation.
