Space Policy Edition: JPL Director wants "every brain" to have the chance to work in space exploration

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode introduces Sarah Al-Ahmed as Planetary Radio’s new host and focuses on two major space-policy themes: NASA’s FY2023 budget and JPL’s workforce/management response after the Psyche mission delay. Casey Dreyer explains that NASA funding rose, with strong support for Artemis and especially planetary science and NEO Surveyor, while Lori Leshin describes how JPL is reshaping its workforce, hybrid-work practices, and management systems to address lessons from Psyche amid rising competition for aerospace talent.

Main Topics: NASA FY2023 budget and program funding: Casey reviews the year-end omnibus budget, noting NASA received a meaningful increase that benefited exploration and science, especially Artemis-related projects and planetary science. NEO Surveyor received a major boost after intense advocacy. JPL workforce pressure and talent competition: Leshin and Dreyer discuss how commercial space growth, Space Force expansion, and broader aerospace demand have tightened labor markets and made hiring/retention a central challenge for JPL and the industry. Lessons from the Psyche delay and IRB findings: The conversation centers on the Psyche Independent Review Board’s critique that JPL had broader management and workforce issues, not just mission-specific mistakes, and how those lessons affect future flagship missions. Return-to-office / hybrid work reform: Leshin explains that Psyche’s development during the pandemic exposed weaknesses in JPL’s hybrid model, especially the loss of informal collaboration and safety-net conversations, leading to revised in-person collaboration expectations. JPL identity, governance, and mission differentiation: The interview explores JPL’s unusual status as NASA’s only FFRDC, its relationship with Caltech and NASA, and how it competes by offering first-of-a-kind missions, technical challenge, and a strong mission culture. Advocacy and public engagement: Both hosts emphasize that membership, congressional outreach, and sustained public advocacy materially affected budget outcomes, especially for NEO Surveyor and broader NASA science funding.

Key Arguments: NASA’s FY2023 budget was a win overall, with around a 5.5% increase and strong support for both human exploration and science. Artemis-related funding, including SLS upgrades, Lunar Gateway, and Human Landing System support, was largely preserved or expanded. Planetary science saw the largest absolute growth among NASA’s science divisions, reflecting its political and strategic momentum. NEO Surveyor’s funding success was directly linked to public and member advocacy; the program received more than NASA requested. JPL’s Psyche problems reflected not only project-specific issues but a wider aerospace workforce and management challenge intensified by the pandemic. Hybrid work proved problematic for first-of-a-kind hardware development because informal hallway/cafeteria problem-solving is essential for spacecraft integration. JPL is responding by increasing in-person team coordination, improving parental leave and DEIA efforts, and focusing on mentorship and knowledge transfer. The commercial space sector’s success is creating both a stronger industry and a talent drain from NASA-linked institutions like JPL. JPL’s competitive advantage is not salary alone but mission-driven work, technical ambition, and the opportunity to build novel, first-of-a-kind systems. Long-term success depends on balancing cost discipline with enough technical risk-taking to keep missions innovative and attractive to top talent.

Data Points: NASA FY2023 budget increase: ~5.5% - Casey says NASA’s budget rose in the year-end omnibus, though below House/Senate top-line expectations. NASA budget growth in dollars: ~$1.2B–$1.3B - Approximate increase over the prior year, according to Casey. Human exploration / Artemis funding: At request / functionally fully funded - Casey says exploration, especially Artemis, received the money it asked for. Gateway funding: ~$800M - Money directed to the Lunar Gateway as part of Artemis development. NEO Surveyor funding: $90M - Casey says Congress provided $90 million, $50 million above NASA’s request. NEO Surveyor amount above request: +$50M - Extra funding helped prevent staffing and contractor disruptions. Planetary science budget growth since a decade ago: $1.2B to $3.2B - Leshin cites the large increase in planetary science funding over roughly ten years. JPL workforce size: >6,000 people - Casey notes JPL has grown substantially over the last decade. JPL workforce growth: +1,000 people / ~20% - Approximate personnel growth over ten years. JPL cost growth over 10 years: ~50% - Casey references JPL annual reports showing expenses increased substantially. Psyche workforce still active: ~150 people - Leshin says this many staff are still working on Psyche until launch. Paid parental leave at JPL: 8 weeks - Leshin announces new paid parental leave for both parents after birth, adoption, or foster placement. Engage JPL sessions: 13 sessions / 2,500 employees - Leshin held multiple sessions to gather staff input on the lab’s future. Session format: 2 hours each - Engage JPL conversations were structured two-hour meetings. In-person sessions: 11 of 13 - Most Engage JPL sessions were held in person. Remote sessions: 2 of 13 - A small portion of the sessions were online. Remote work adjustment deadline: End of January - Staff were given time to adapt to the revised lab-attendance expectations. NASA science leadership turnover: Thomas Zurbuchen stepped down - Leshin references a leadership change at NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

Pivotal Quotes: "it tells you, well, I always think it's like physics, right?" — Casey Dreyer: He compares space policy analysis to physics, emphasizing the value of understanding systems and rules behind outcomes. "We want to build the first of a kind. We want to build something that's one of a kind." — Lori Leshin: Leshin describes JPL’s core mission and why that mission attracts talent despite lower pay than some private companies. "Let's never do that again." — Lori Leshin: She reflects on the unintended experiment of developing Psyche during the pandemic with hybrid/remote work.

Implications: NASA and JPL are entering a period where funding is stronger but execution is harder: talent competition, hybrid-work limits, and management rigor will shape whether ambitious missions like Europa Clipper, NISAR, and Mars Sample Return succeed.