California Institute of Technology - Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California

Overview

The California Institute of Technology - Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Caltech-JPL) is a federally funded research and development center located in Pasadena, California. It is managed by Caltech and primarily funded by NASA. JPL is primarily known for its work in robotic space exploration, including the design, development, and operation of robotic spacecraft and instruments.

History

JPL was founded in 1936 as a small rocketry group at Caltech. It grew rapidly during the Cold War, playing a key role in the development of ballistic missiles and early space exploration programs. JPL's first major success was the launch of Explorer 1, the first American satellite, in 1958.

Missions

JPL has been involved in numerous successful space missions, including:

• Mariner missions: Flybys of Venus and Mars in the 1960s and 1970s.
• Viking missions: Landers and orbiters that studied the surface of Mars in the 1970s.
• Voyager missions: Flybys of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune in the 1970s and 1980s.
• Galileo mission: Orbiter and probe that studied Jupiter and its moons in the 1990s and 2000s.
• Mars Pathfinder mission: Rover that landed on Mars in 1997.
• Mars Exploration Rovers (Spirit and Opportunity): Rovers that landed on Mars in 2004.
• Curiosity rover: Rover that landed on Mars in 2012.
• Perseverance rover: Rover that landed on Mars in 2021.
• Cassini-Huygens mission: Orbiter and probe that studied Saturn and its moons from 2004 to 2017.
• New Horizons mission: Flyby of Pluto in 2015.
• Juno mission: Orbiter that is studying Jupiter since 2016.
• InSight mission: Lander that is studying the interior of Mars since 2018.

Current Projects

JPL is currently involved in a number of ongoing projects, including:

• Mars 2020 Perseverance rover: Exploring the Jezero Crater on Mars and searching for signs of ancient life.
• Europa Clipper mission: Studying the icy moon Europa of Jupiter.
• Dragonfly mission: Sending a quadcopter to explore Titan, the largest moon of Saturn.
• Psyche mission: Studying the metallic asteroid Psyche.
• Mars Sample Return mission: Bringing samples of Martian rock and soil back to Earth.

Facilities

JPL's main campus is located in Pasadena, California. It also operates a number of facilities around the world, including:

• Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex: A network of radio antennas in California, Australia, and Spain that is used to communicate with spacecraft.
• Table Mountain Facility: A facility in California that is used to test spacecraft and instruments.
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory - Spacecraft Assembly Facility: A facility in California that is used to assemble and test spacecraft.
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory - Space Flight Operations Facility: A facility in California that is used to control and monitor spacecraft.

Education and Outreach

JPL is committed to education and outreach. It offers a variety of programs for students, educators, and the public, including:

• Internships and fellowships: Opportunities for students to work on real-world space missions.
• Educational resources: Educational materials about space exploration for students and educators.
• Public events: Lectures, tours, and other events for the public to learn about JPL's work.

Additional Information

• JPL is a major employer in the Pasadena area, with over 6,000 employees.
• JPL is a leader in the field of robotics, with a long history of developing innovative robots for space exploration.
• JPL is committed to diversity and inclusion, and is working to create a more inclusive workplace for all employees.