What is the Jet Propulsion Laboratory?
A research center for the design, development, and control of unmanned spacecraft, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is operated for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) by the California Institute of Technology (CIT). 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.JPL is run by contractors working for Cal Tech. When the government shuts down, JPL keeps going, at least for a while. The deep space network that communicates with all (most? NASA’s spacecraft that aren’t Earth orbiters, is run by JPL.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.JPL is funded by NASA to address specific long-term technical and scientific needs that cannot be effectively met by any other single organization within the agency or by traditional government or commercial contracting mechanisms.NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), located in the San Gabriel Valley in Southern California’s Los Angeles County, is a federally funded research and development center that consists of more than 150 buildings spread across 177 acres.
Is the Jet Propulsion Laboratory a government agency?
Managed by Caltech, JPL is NASA’s only federally-funded research and development center. Later that year, NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) was founded, and JPL was transferred to the agency by the Army. Since then, JPL has abandoned rocket development for space exploration, but remained under management by Caltech, which is several miles away in Pasadena.From JPL to NASA On December 3, 1958, two months after NASA started operations, JPL was transferred from Army jurisdiction to that of the new civilian space agency.
Where is the Jet Propulsion Laboratory located?
Nowadays, most of the 168 acres (68 ha) of the U. S. NASA property that makes up the JPL campus is located in La Cañada Flintridge. Despite this, JPL still uses a Pasadena address (4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109) as its official mailing address. Located in Southern California, JPL is NASA’s leader in robotic exploration. We’ve sent rovers to Mars, probes into the farthest reaches of the solar system, and satellites to advance understanding of our home planet.