NASA’s renowned Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is set to lay off around 550 employees or roughly 10% of its workforce as part of a major organisational overhaul to improve efficiency and preserve core technical strengths. In a statement JPL Director Dave Gallagher clarified that the layoffs are unrelated to the ongoing U.S. government shutdown and stated that the move is part of a broader effort to reshape the lab’s structure and ensure long-term sustainability. Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Lab’s Lay Off “This week’s action while not easy is essential to securing JPL’s future by creating a leaner infrastructure focusing on our core technical capabilities maintaining fiscal discipline and positioning us to compete in the evolving space ecosystem — all while continuing to deliver on our vital work for NASA and the nation” Gallagher said as reported by NBC News. The job cuts will be across technical business and support roles across the Pasadena-based facility with affected employees being notified individually this week. JPL is managed by the California Institute of Technology under NASA’s funding.It has played a big role in American space exploration from building the country’s first satellite Explorer 1 (launched in 1958). Pressure On JPL and NASA However both JPL and NASA have faced financial and political pressures in recent years. According to Reuters nearly 4000 NASA employees have exited after Donald Trump took office reducing the agency’s 18000-strong workforce by nearly 20%. Apart from this 2000 senior-level staff were also marked in the list for departure in July as part of new reduction plans. Despite the challenges Gallagher reaffirmed JPL’s commitment to its mission: “We are confident this realignment will strengthen our ability to contribute to the nation’s leadership in space science and exploration.”