NASA’s leader middle for robot planetary exploration is accomplishing any other spherical of layoffs.The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California — which manages a lot of NASA’s high-profile robot missions, such because the Perseverance and Interest Mars rovers — introduced Tuesday (Nov. 12) that it is going to lay off about 325 staff, or more or less 5% of its staff.”The affects are happening throughout technical, trade and give a boost to spaces of the Laboratory,” JPL officers wrote in an replace on Tuesday. “Those are painful however important changes that may permit us to stick to our funds whilst proceeding our essential paintings for NASA and our country.”Comparable: Details and details about NASA’s Jet Propulsion LaboratoryJPL, which is federally funded however controlled via the California Institute of Era in Pasadena, additionally performed a spherical of layoffs in February. The ones cuts affected about 8% of JPL’s staff — 530 staff and 40 contractors.The February layoffs have been spurred, partially, via a discount in investment this fiscal yr for Mars pattern go back (MSR), a daring marketing campaign to get subject material accrued via Perseverance again to Earth within the 2030s. All the MSR structure is now below overview, as the unique plan used to be deemed too dear; closing yr, an impartial overview board pegged its price ticket at $8 billion to $11 billion.Breaking area information, the most recent updates on rocket launches, skywatching occasions and extra!JPL officers didn’t point out MSR when explaining this 2nd spherical of layoffs, as an alternative mentioning investment shortfalls extra in most cases.”With decrease budgets and in response to the forecasted paintings forward, we needed to tighten our belts around the board, and you’ll see that mirrored within the layoff affects,” JPL Director Laurie Leshin mentioned in a memo to staff that the lab revealed with Tuesday’s layoff announcement. 
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover took this selfie having a look down at one in every of 10 pattern tubes deposited on the pattern depot it created in a space nicknamed 3 Forks. This symbol used to be taken via the WATSON digicam at the rover’s robot arm on Jan. 20, 2023, the 684th Martian day, or sol, of the project. (Symbol credit score: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)Leshin mentioned that the result of closing week’s presidential election didn’t play a task within the layoffs, which move into impact on Wednesday (Nov. 13). She wired that “this motion can be going down without reference to the hot election end result.”Leshin additionally expressed hope that there can be little need for additional layoffs for the foreseeable long run.”After this motion, we will be able to be at about 5,500 JPL common staff,” she wrote. “I imagine it is a solid, supportable staffing stage shifting ahead. Whilst we will be able to by no means be 100% sure of the longer term funds, we will be able to be smartly situated for the paintings forward.”
