NASA Is Opening Bids for Who Will Run the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA is opening a bid process for the next operator of Jet Propulsion Laboratory after Caltech’s contract expires in 2028.

The agency says a growing space economy and a review of alternatives could justify a different management model for JPL.

NASA wants any transition to preserve stable lab operations while potentially improving efficiency and innovation.

The move could end Caltech’s decades-long role and reshape how one of NASA’s most important research centers is run.