California’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory braces for layoffs as federal budget battle drags on

“Employees at California’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory are bracing for layoffs as the U.S. government heads into its second week of a shutdown linked to a stalled budget agreement.

The storied research and development center in La Cañada-Flintridge is known for its work on robotic space exploration, including Mars Rovers and deep-space probes, as well as its cutting-edge satellite networks that monitor Earth. It is funded by NASA and managed by the California Institute of Technology.

Agency officials confirmed that layoffs are imminent this month, but declined to provide an exact number of affected employees.”