What is the difference between NASA and JPL?
JPL is NASA’s Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) operated by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). JPL is NASA’s only federally funded research and development center. Its history is inextricably linked to Caltech, and the center has never been operated by any other institution.Explore the JPL campus virtually with interactive 360 panoramas of Mission Control, the Spacecraft Assembly Facility, the visitor museum, and more. JPL is federally funded by NASA and managed by Caltech.The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is operated by California Institute of Technology (Caltech) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC). JPLers are Caltech employees and are considered Federal Contractors.Founded by Caltech researchers, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is the leading center for exploring the solar system and more distant expanses that humans cannot yet reach.David Gallagher, who has been serving as the Lab’s associate director for Strategic Integration, has been selected by Caltech to lead the federally funded research and development center. Caltech manages JPL for NASA. A distinguished geochemist, Leshin was named by Caltech to lead the lab in early 2022.