By Gloria Nosa
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), NASA’s world-renowned research hub in Pasadena, California, has announced the dismissal of 550 employees, raising concerns that several of the agency’s flagship space missions may now be at risk.
JPL Director Dave Gallagher confirmed the restructuring in a statement on Monday, calling it a painful but necessary step.
“To secure JPL’s future, we must realign our workforce and operate at a more sustainable scale,” Gallagher said. “This action, while not easy, is vital to ensure the lab can continue leading exploration in the decades ahead.”
Programmes Under Pressure
JPL has been central to some of NASA’s most ambitious efforts, including the Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter’s moon, the Psyche asteroid probe, and the Deep Space Network, which provides communications with spacecraft across the solar system.
It also oversees several Mars projects, such as the Perseverance rover, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the long-awaited Mars Sample Return program—an effort already facing delays and budget concerns.
Former JPL staff say the layoffs have hit these missions hard. On social media platform Bluesky, ex-rover operator Kevin Hicks claimed that nearly one-third of the Perseverance team had been dismissed, despite the rover being critical to NASA’s plans for eventually bringing samples back from Mars.
Shockwaves Inside JPL
Employees have described the mood inside the lab as grim. On a JPL Reddit forum, one worker called it a “doomsday-eve” atmosphere, revealing that some staff had already begun packing personal items before official notices were issued.
Another employee wrote that 40% of their team was eliminated, while others said group photos were taken “as a final farewell” to colleagues who had devoted years to space exploration.
“The JPL we knew is gone,” one employee told LAist after a decade of service at the lab.
Budget Cuts Add to Uncertainty
The layoffs come amid wider financial turbulence for NASA. Under the Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal, the agency faces a potential 24% funding cut, reducing its budget from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion.
While exploration programs may see modest increases, NASA’s science budget is set to be nearly halved—a move that critics say threatens decades of progress.
According to data from the Planetary Society, 41 scientific missions are on the chopping block, including the Mars Sample Return and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Collectively, these cancelled projects represent over $12 billion in investment.
Gallagher’s Outlook
Despite the grim numbers, Gallagher insisted the restructuring will ultimately strengthen JPL’s ability to deliver future discoveries.
“Those continuing with JPL will soon learn their role in the new lab structure,” he said. “I know this change is difficult, but it will allow us to meet humanity’s boldest ambitions in space.”
Still, uncertainty looms. With workforce morale shaken and scientific missions facing deep cuts, many worry the latest layoffs could stall NASA’s push to answer fundamental questions—such as whether life ever existed on Mars.
