NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory lays off 550 employees

Technology Oct 17, 2025

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), run by Caltech, just laid off 550 people—about 11% of its staff—as part of a restructuring that began in July.
This marks the fourth round of layoffs since early 2025, shrinking JPL's team from around 6,500 to 4,500.

Layoffs raise concerns about impact on future NASA missions

JPL says it's realigning to focus on its core strengths and tighten up spending, with cuts affecting technical, business, and support roles.
While not linked to the government shutdown, the layoffs have sparked worries about how future NASA missions—like bringing Mars samples back to Earth—could be impacted.

JPL's crucial role in NASA's Mars missions

JPL isn't just any space lab—it's the only place that's designed, built, and operated every NASA Mars rover, from Pathfinder in 1997 to Perseverance in 2021.