Who are the founders of JPL?
In 1942, Kármán and other scientists formed the Aerojet Engineering Corporation to build jet engines. Kármán and others at Caltech then formed the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to produce weapons systems for the Army. During JPL’s Army years, the laboratory developed two deployed weapon systems, the MGM-5 Corporal and MGM-29 Sergeant intermediate range ballistic missiles. These missiles were the first US ballistic missiles developed at JPL.Founded in the 1930s, JPL is owned by NASA and managed by the nearby California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The laboratory’s primary function is the construction and operation of planetary robotic spacecraft, though it also conducts Earth-orbit and astronomy missions.JPL’s beginnings The origins of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory date back to the 1930s, when Caltech professor Theodore von Kármán oversaw pioneering work in rocket propulsion.JPL is the result of a Caltech graduate student’s research into rocket propulsion in the late 1930s. Funded by the U. S. Army during and after World War II, the Laboratory developed the U. S. Corporal.
Who owns the JPL?
It is owned by NASA and managed by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). JPL is located in Pasadena, California, United States. JPL’s main job is to build and operate robotic spacecraft that explore other planets. They also work on missions that study Earth from space and look at distant stars. 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.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.
Who is the current director of JPL?
Dave Gallagher was selected by Caltech to become the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s 11th director, effective June 2, 2025. He was formerly Associate Director for Strategic Integration. Dr. Laurie Leshin, director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory from May 2022 until June 2025, is a distinguished geochemist and space scientist with extensive leadership experience in academia and government.