NASA is opening competitive bidding for who will manage the Jet Propulsion Laboratory after Caltech's contract expires in 2028. The agency issued a notice inviting interested parties to bid on the $30 billion contract. Caltech has overseen JPL since its founding in 1936, predating NASA itself by over two decades.

The move comes amid broader government efforts to find efficiencies, with the Trump administration requesting a 23 percent budget cut for NASA. These reductions would directly impact JPL operations. NASA stated the growing US space economy now supports a viable competitive market for managing the critical research facility.

Potential bidders could include universities with aerospace expertise or contractors like Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Classified as a Federally Funded Research and Development Center, the contract typically goes to not-for-profit entities. NASA began the search early to ensure project continuity regardless of who ultimately manages JPL after 2028.