Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a federally funded research and development center in Pasadena, California, United States. Founded in 1936 by Caltech researchers, the laboratory is now owned and sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and administered and managed by the California Institute of Technology.
Clockwise from the top: aerial view of JPL, NISAR testing in the Space Simulator, Sojourner at JPL's Mars Yard, Mars 2020 rover, and JPL Mission Control | |
| Established | October 31, 1936 |
|---|---|
| Research type | Applied |
| Director | Laurie Leshin |
| Staff | >6,000 |
| Address | 4800 Oak Grove Drive |
| Location | Pasadena, CA, California, United States |
Subdivision | JPL Science Division |
Operating agency | Managed for NASA by Caltech |
| Website | jpl.nasa.gov |
| Map | |
Location in California Jet Propulsion Laboratory (the United States) | |
The laboratory's primary function is the construction and operation of planetary robotic spacecraft, though it also conducts Earth-orbit and astronomy missions. It is also responsible for operating the NASA Deep Space Network.
Among the laboratory's major active projects are the Mars 2020 mission, which includes the Perseverance rover; the Mars Science Laboratory mission, including the Curiosity rover; the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter; the Juno spacecraft orbiting Jupiter; the SMAP satellite for earth surface soil moisture monitoring; the NuSTAR X-ray telescope; and the Psyche asteroid orbiter. It is also responsible for managing the JPL Small-Body Database, and provides physical data and lists of publications for all known small Solar System bodies.
JPL's Space Flight Operations Facility and Twenty-Five-Foot Space Simulator are designated National Historic Landmarks.