Is the Jet Propulsion Lab part of NASA?
Managed by Caltech, JPL is NASA’s only federally-funded research and development center. Designed, built, and operated the United States’ first satellite, Explorer 1, launched in 1958. Explorer 1 produced the first-ever scientific result from space: the discovery of the Van Allen Radiation Belts. Jet Propulsion Laboratory Directors JPL also operates the NASA Deep Space Network, enabling navigation and data return throughout the solar system. Managed by the California Institute of Technology and based in Pasadena, JPL is NASA’s only federally-funded research and development center.On Mars, it operates the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers. The latter is collecting Martian rock and dust for a possible sample return mission, in which JPL is also heavily involved. The laboratory employs about 5,500 NASA personnel and onsite subcontractors.
Why does NASA team with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory?
Caltech rocket scientists founded the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1936, and the Institute now manages it for NASA. The Lab is a leader in robotic space exploration that sends rovers to Mars, probes to the far reaches of the solar system, and satellites into orbit. Founded in 1936 by California Institute of Technology (Caltech) researchers, the laboratory is now owned and sponsored by NASA and administered and managed by Caltech.
Do astronauts get paid $5 a day?
According to NASA, astronauts are not paid overtime or bonuses for time in space. Instead, they receive their standard federal salaries and a $5 daily incidental travel allowance while on official duty. That means each astronaut earned just under $1,500 extra over the course of the mission. A real buzz for billionaires has ensued ever since. For $35,000 a night, private astronauts will be able to stay for up to 30 days on board the space station when travelling on US spacecraft. A flight with Boeing and Elon Musk’s SpaceX company would set you back around $60 million for a return ticket.
What is a NASA astronaut’s salary?
NASA pay FAQs The average salary for an Astronaut is $151,676 per year (estimate) in US, which is 14% higher than the average NASA salary of $133,463 per year (estimate) for this job. 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.