Topline:
Layoff notices began to arrive in Jet Propulsion Laboratory employees' email inboxes Tuesday morning after leadership announced the day before that 11% of the lab's workforce would be cut. That's about 550 people.
We've been here before: There were two rounds of large layoffs at the La Cañada Flintridge-based NASA center in 2024, with roughly 900 people let go.
The justification: The reorganization has been going on since July, JPL Director Dave Gallagher wrote in a post on the lab's website. He said JPL's future depends on "creating a leaner infrastructure, focusing on our core technical capabilities, maintaining fiscal discipline, and positioning us to compete in the evolving space ecosystem — all while continuing to deliver on our vital work for NASA and the nation." The cuts are not related to the government shutdown, he wrote.
Where will cuts be focused? The layoffs are expected to affect various departments, though it's unclear which missions may be the hardest hit. The Mars Sample Return mission was affected last year. Without additional funding allocated to the program, those cuts could continue.
Sentiment at JPL: “The JPL that we knew is gone,” said one employee, who has worked at JPL for over 10 years and lamented the repeated layoffs. The engineer also described an ongoing brain drain and a feeling of despondency among the staff. LAist agreed not to name the person, who feared reprisal for speaking publicly.