Is JPL worth visiting?
It’s definitely worth it to see all the exciting rovers, telescopes, satellites and learn about space exploration. I loved learning about the history of how JPL began and all the hard work involved with past, current and future missions they are involved with. The tour is a little over 2 Hours but it goes by quickly. On this in-depth, 2-hour guided walking tour of the campus, we’ll learn about JPL’s history, accomplishments and current and future missions while exploring this historic site.
Why does it cost $20,000 to feed an astronaut?
Currently, providing each astronaut with enough food for a mission is estimated to cost around £20,000 per day, largely due to the need to transport large quantities of food and water. By harnessing microbes to produce food on-site through fermentation, the need for heavy food supplies could be dramatically reduced. Weighty supplies like food, water, and fuel add to the cost and scale of the flight, and feeding each astronaut is estimated to cost around £20,000 per day. One potential solution is to take microbes called yeasts onboard, which can be engineered to produce such supplies through precision fermentation.
What is a NASA astronaut’s salary?
All new astronauts start as GS-12 Step 1 employees, regardless of their background in STEM, military, or piloting. Salary Starts at: $100,287 annually (~$48. This is the official starting point for astronauts in 2025. The highest paying role reported at SpaceX is Software Engineering Manager with a yearly total compensation of $492,000. This includes base salary as well as any potential stock compensation and bonuses. How much do SpaceX employees get paid? The median yearly total compensation reported at SpaceX is $185,783.Aerospace engineer positions at SpaceX begin at $95,000 per year, dwarfing NASA’s offering which must adhere to the federal government’s General Schedule pay scales.Some of the highest wages a worker can make at Spacex are in the job titles Senior Software Engineer ($190,060), and title Senior Systems Engineer ($177,954) which are the highest paying jobs at Spacex.Aerospace engineer positions at SpaceX begin at $95,000 per year, dwarfing NASA’s offering which must adhere to the federal government’s General Schedule pay scales. Here, salaries begin at around $55,000 for engineers with bachelor’s degrees working at the Kennedy Space Center, based in Florida.
Does NASA JPL pay well?
How much does a Nasa Jpl make in Pasadena, California? As of Nov 27, 2025, the average annual pay for a Nasa Jpl in Pasadena is $108,784 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $52. This is the equivalent of $2,092/week or $9,065/month. While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $174,000 and as low as $20,000, the majority of Nasa salaries currently range between $62,000 (25th percentile) to $117,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $150,000 annually across the United States.Under NASA rules, astronauts are paid at the rate of their usual 40-hours-a-week salary, roughly $152,258 per year, during their time aboard the International Space Station. As federal workers, they don’t pay for transportation, lodging or meals while on assignment — which is reasonable, considering the commute.NASA pay FAQs The average salary for a Chief Executive Officer is $3,17,309 per year (estimate) in Washington, DC , United States, which is 21% higher than the average NASA salary of $2,63,067 per year (estimate) for this job.
What is NASA’s highest paying job?
The highest paying role reported at NASA is Administrative Assistant at the Common Range Average level with a yearly total compensation of $241,200. This includes base salary as well as any potential stock compensation and bonuses. Annual salaries typically range from $52,626 (or $25) for a Research Intern to $212,717 (or $102) for a Principal Engineer. This is based on 3402 salaries submitted on Glassdoor by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory employees in United States as of November 2025.The average NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory salary ranges from approximately $65,443 per year for Senior Staff Assistant to $264,093 per year for Section Manager. Average NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory hourly pay ranges from approximately $21. Business Intern to $33. Student Intern.