More job cuts: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory lays off hundreds again
There is less money for an ambitious Mars mission. JPL is feeling the direct effects of this, with the third major job cut this year.
Tension before the later successful launch of Europa Clipper
(Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is responsible for the operation of many of NASA's space probes, is laying off hundreds of employees for the second time this year. This was announced by the head of the facility in a further"Workforce Update". Accordingly, 325 people or 5 percent of all employees are affected. In February, 530 people (8 percent of the workforce at the time) had to leave, followed by 100 in January. The reason for the next major job cuts in just one year is therefore ongoing funding difficulties. In the announcement, JPL boss Laurie Leshin calls on all employees to work from home today, Wednesday, where they will be informed by e-mail whether they are affected.
Glorious history
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is part of the California Institute of Technology and has been responsible for some of NASA's most significant probe missions, including those of Voyager 1 and 2, Cassini and Galileo. The Mars rovers Curiosity and Perseverance were also developed at JPL. The "Jet Propulsion Laboratory" also built NASA's Deep Space Network and looks after the huge antennas used to maintain contact with the distant probes. The facility is currently responsible for controlling the Europa Clipper mission, which is to explore Jupiter's moon of the same name.
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The background to the financial problems at JPL continues to be extensive changes to the plans for the first transfer of soil samples from Mars to Earth. The budget for the "Mars Sample Return" mission has been slashed from almost one billion US dollars to less than 300 million this year, writes ArsTechnica. At the same time, there is no guarantee that JPL will be put in charge of the mission. After the job cuts that have now been announced, around 5,500 people will still be permanently employed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, writes Leshin. She is convinced that this is a "stable and sustainable workforce".
(mho)
