Another Employee Cut at JPL

Posted on by onespaceman2000

Earlier today, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) announced additional employee cuts:

While we have taken various measures to meet our current FY’25 budget allocation, we have reached the difficult decision to reduce the JPL workforce through layoffs. This reduction affects approximately 325 of our colleagues, an impact of about 5% of our workforce. The impacts are occurring across technical, business, and support areas of the Laboratory. These are painful but necessary adjustments that will enable us to adhere to our budget while continuing our important work for NASA and our nation.

You may recall that JPL laid off about 8 percent of its staff back in February due to budget issues associated with the Mars Sample Return, so this is the second hit this year.

Addressing these earlier cuts, Rep. Mike Garcia (R-CA) stated his concerns:

I worry that, when we make certain decisions, that we’re cutting to the bone and, in this case, potentially amputating JPL.

It appears the bone cutting continues, though JPL management stated, “…we will be well positioned for the work ahead.”

Let’s hope so.

We Have Moved from Exoplanet to Exomoon

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): An artist’s rendering of a volcanic moon orbiting WASP-49 b. (NASA/ JPL-Caltech)

The search for new exoplanets in our galaxy continues, but now it may include the first exomoon. This was something that was expected to occur at some point as the detection methods became better over time.

The exomoon in question is believed to be a volcanic moon orbiting a giant planet about 635 light-years away. Detected using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile, the exomoon is discussed in a paper written by researchers with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech in California. The clue was a cloud of sodium that did not appear to come from the host exoplanet.

The new discovery is being compared to Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io, which is the most volcanically active world in the solar system.

If you want to learn more about exomoons, I recommend a Cool Worlds video narrated by Assistant Professor of Astronomy David Kipping who provides five reasons that the study of exomoons is so important.

Space Stories: Oxygen Issues on Europa, the Puzzling Expansion Rate of the Universe, and Mini Moon-Bound Rovers

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Europa as captured by NASA’s Galileo spacecraft. (NASA/JPL/Ted Stryk)

Here are some recent stories of interest.

—The Columbian: “Europa Might Have Less Oxygen Than Expected“

New research suggests there’s less oxygen on the icy surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa than thought — and that could affect what, if any, life might be lurking in the moon’s underground ocean. Even with little or no oxygen, microbes might still be bustling around in the ocean believed to exist miles beneath Europa’s frozen crust. As for what else, “who knows,” said NASA scientist Kevin Hand, who was not involved in the study published Monday in Nature Astronomy.

—Webbtelescope.org: “NASA’s Webb, Hubble Telescopes Affirm Universe’s Expansion Rate, Puzzle Persists“

The best measurements from Hubble show the universe is now expanding faster than predicted based on observations of how it looked shortly after the big bang. These observations were made by the Planck satellite mapping of the cosmic microwave background radiation – sort of a blueprint for how the universe would evolve structure after it cooled down from the big bang. The simple solution to the dilemma is to say that maybe Hubble observations are wrong due to some creeping inaccuracy in its deep-space yardstick. Then along came the James Webb Space Telescope to crosscheck Hubble’s results. Webb’s sharp infrared views of Cepheids agreed with Hubble data. Webb confirmed that the Hubble telescope’s keen eye was right all along.

—NASA JPL: “NASA’s Network of Small Moon-Bound Rovers Is Ready to Roll“

A trio of small rovers that will explore the Moon in sync with one another are rolling toward launch. Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California recently finished assembling the robots, then subjected them to a punishing series of tests to ensure they’ll survive their jarring rocket ride into space and their travels in the unforgiving lunar environment. Part of a technology demonstration called CADRE (Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration), each solar-powered rover is about the size of a carry-on suitcase.

Bad News for NASA’s JPL and the Mars Sample Return

Posted on by onespaceman2000
 

NASA has started to crack under budget uncertainty.

The Washington Post has reported that NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is laying off 530 employees and another 40 contractors. Overall, this is an eight percent drop in JPL staffing, most of it related to the Mars Sample Return (MSR) efforts that have been facing cost overruns and questions from Congress.

JPL management explained the reduction in a memo to employees:

I am writing to share as much detail and clarity on our actions as I can, including reviewing the factors that have led to this decision, and our next steps. First, how we got here. Without an approved federal budget including final allocation for MSR FY24 funding levels, NASA previously directed JPL to plan for an MSR budget of $300M. This is consistent with the low end of congressional markups of NASA’s budget and a 63% decrease over the FY23 level. In response to this direction, and in an effort to protect our workforce, we implemented a hiring freeze, reduced MSR contracts, and implemented cuts to burden budgets across the Lab. Earlier this month, we further reduced spending by releasing some of our valued on-site contractors.

This may be a short layoff should NASA get more funding from Congress, but even then it is possible that some of the great talent associated with the program will head off into the sunset to find more secure employment.

Will we ever get a sample back from Mars? Can we get the information we need via other means for now until the budget situation improves (as well as more partner funding)? Will the Chinese or another party find the means to do something we cannot?

NASA has a lot of balls in the air and may lack the necessary funding to keep them all afloat, as was highlighted in an earlier post.

It appears one of the balls has dropped.

Space Quote: JPL Struggles to Remain Fully Staffed

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Image (Credit): Artist’s rendering of NASA’s Perseverance rover on the surface of Mars. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)

“It was clear that upper management expected us to push through regardless of any challenges happening outside the lab because the robot was the first priority…It resulted in incredible burnout across all the teams. Many of us are honestly still recovering from it.”

-Statement by one of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory employees working on the Mars Perseverence rover mission as quoted in a Scientific American article, “NASA Lab’s Workforce Woes Threaten Major Space Missions.” The article notes that JPL is dealing with employee shortages as overworked employees depart for better pay more more life balance at private space firms.