MASSIVE Job Cuts Announced by NASA's JPL as Budget Cut Hits Mars Program

New Delhi: After being hit hard by recent federal budget cuts NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has sacked 100 contractors. The layoff took place last week as NASA is facing massive budget cuts, because of which, the space agency has to postpone its manned mission to the moon, Artemis.  

In an email to employees, JPL director Laurie Leshin reportedly said the budget allocated for the MSR (Mars Sample Return) mission this year is expected to be restricted to $300 million. This figure stands at slightly more than one-third of the 2023 budget, which amounted to $822 million.

Notably, the current budget falls short of the amount requested by the Biden administration, comprising less than one-third of their proposed funding. Earlier last year in June, concerns were raised owing to the expenses for the mission which were increasing quickly. In October, NASA decided to take another look at the mission's plans after a group of independent reviewers said that the budget and schedule were not realistic.

MSR Mission Facing Challenges Due to Budget Constraints

The MSR mission, a collaborative effort between NASA and the European Space Agency, has encountered challenges due to budget constraints. NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars is tasked with collecting samples, which are intended to be shot into Martian orbit and later retrieved for a return to Earth in the early to mid-2030s.

However, budget restrictions have led NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to implement a hiring freeze and halt work on the mission’s Capture, Containment, and Retrieval System, designed for retrieving samples in orbit. This decision has sparked dissatisfaction among lawmakers, with Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) expressing concern over NASA's choice to cut funding for the MSR mission before the completion of the appropriations process in Congress.