NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab lays off 550 employees
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is letting go of about 550 employees—roughly 11% of its team—in a big restructuring move that began earlier this year.
The layoffs span technical, business, and support roles, all aimed at focusing on JPL's core technical capabilities and ensuring future success.
Layoffs not related to US government shutdown
NASA made it clear: these job cuts aren't tied to the US government shutdown that started on October 1, which furloughed over 15,000 federal workers.
JPL's changes have been in the works for months to set up for long-term success.
What is JPL?
JPL runs the Deep Space Network—a global web of giant antennas that lets us talk to spacecraft exploring far-off worlds.
Thanks to this network, missions like Perseverance on Mars and Europa Clipper can send back discoveries from millions of miles away!