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Jet Propulsion Laboratory

April 01, 2023

"JPL" redirects here. For other uses, see JPL (disambiguation).

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a federally funded research and development center in the City of La Cañada Flintridge, California, United States.[1] Founded in 1936 by Caltech researchers, the laboratory is now owned and sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and administrated and managed by the California Institute of Technology.[2][3]

Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Aerial view of JPL
EstablishedOctober 31, 1936; 86 years ago (1936-10-31)
Research typeApplied
DirectorLaurie Leshin
Staff> 6,000
Address4800 Oak Grove Drive
LocationLa Cañada Flintridge, California, United States
34°12′6.1″N 118°10′18″W / 34.201694°N 118.17167°W / 34.201694; -118.17167Coordinates: 34°12′6.1″N 118°10′18″W / 34.201694°N 118.17167°W / 34.201694; -118.17167
Subdivision
JPL Science Division
Operating agency
Managed for NASA by Caltech
Websitejpl.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 and the Ingenuity Mars helicopter; 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 forthcoming 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.

History

 
The control room at JPL

JPL traces its beginnings to 1936 in the Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology (GALCIT) when the first set of rocket experiments were carried out in the Arroyo Seco.[4] Caltech graduate students Frank Malina, Qian Xuesen, Weld Arnold[5] and Apollo M. O. Smith, along with Jack Parsons and Edward S. Forman, tested a small, alcohol-fueled motor to gather data for Malina's graduate thesis.[citation needed] Malina's thesis advisor was engineer/aerodynamicist Theodore von Kármán, who eventually arranged for U.S. Army financial support for this "GALCIT Rocket Project" in 1939. In 1941, Malina, Parsons, Forman, Martin Summerfield, and pilot Homer Bushey demonstrated the first jet-assisted takeoff (JATO) rockets to the Army. In 1943, von Kármán, Malina, Parsons, and Forman established the Aerojet Corporation to manufacture JATO rockets. The project took on the name Jet Propulsion Laboratory in November 1943, formally becoming an Army facility operated under contract by the university.[6][7][8][9] In 1944, Parsons was expelled due to his "unorthodox and unsafe working methods" following one of several FBI investigations into his involvement with the occult, drugs and sexual promiscuity. [10][11]

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.[12] It also developed a number of other weapons system prototypes, such as the Loki anti-aircraft missile system, and the forerunner of the Aerobee sounding rocket. At various times, it carried out rocket testing at the White Sands Proving Ground, Edwards Air Force Base, and Goldstone, California.[9]

In 1954, JPL teamed up with Wernher von Braun's engineers at the Army Ballistic Missile Agency's Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, to propose orbiting a satellite during the International Geophysical Year. The team lost that proposal to Project Vanguard, and instead embarked on a classified project to demonstrate ablative re-entry technology using a Jupiter-C rocket. They carried out three successful sub-orbital flights in 1956 and 1957. Using a spare Juno I (a modified Jupiter-C with a fourth stage), the two organizations then launched the United States' first satellite, Explorer 1, on January 31, 1958.[7][8]

 
MSL mockup compared with the Mars Exploration Rover and Sojourner rover by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on May 12, 2008

JPL was transferred to NASA in December 1958,[13] becoming the agency's primary planetary spacecraft center. JPL engineers designed and operated Ranger and Surveyor missions to the Moon that prepared the way for Apollo. JPL also led the way in interplanetary exploration with the Mariner missions to Venus, Mars, and Mercury.[7] In 1998, JPL opened the Near-Earth Object Program Office for NASA.[14] As of 2013, it has found 95% of asteroids that are a kilometer or more in diameter that cross Earth's orbit.[15]

JPL was early to employ female mathematicians. In the 1940s and 1950s, using mechanical calculators, women in an all-female computations group performed trajectory calculations.[16][17] In 1961, JPL hired Dana Ulery as the first female engineer to work alongside male engineers as part of the Ranger and Mariner mission tracking teams.[18]

JPL has been recognized four times by the Space Foundation: with the Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award, which is given annually to an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to public awareness of space programs, in 1998; and with the John L. "Jack" Swigert, Jr., Award for Space Exploration on three occasions – in 2009 (as part of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander Team[19]), 2006 and 2005.

Location

 
JPL-developed Sergeant (left) and Corporal (right) missiles on display at JPL in April 2006.

When it was founded, JPL's site was immediately west of a rocky flood-plain – the Arroyo Seco riverbed – above the Devil's Gate dam in the northwestern panhandle of the city of Pasadena in Southern California, near Los Angeles. While the first few buildings were constructed in land bought from the city of Pasadena,[1] subsequent buildings were constructed in neighboring unincorporated land that later became part of La Cañada Flintridge. Nowadays, most of the 168 acres (68 ha) of the U.S. federal government-owned NASA property that makes up the JPL campus is located in La Cañada Flintridge.[20][21] Despite this, JPL still uses a Pasadena address (4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109) as its official mailing address.[22] There has been occasional rivalry between the two cities over the issue of which one should be mentioned in the media as the home of the laboratory.[21][23][24][25]

Employees

 
A 1960s advert reads: "When you were a kid, science fiction gave you a sense of wonder. Now you feel the same just by going to work."

There are approximately 6,000 full-time Caltech employees, and typically a few thousand additional contractors working on any given day. NASA also has a resident office at the facility staffed by federal managers who oversee JPL's activities and work for NASA. There are also some Caltech graduate students, college student interns and co-op students.

Education

The JPL Education Office serves educators and students by providing them with activities, resources, materials and opportunities tied to NASA missions and science. The mission of its programs is to introduce and further students' interest in pursuing STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers.[26]

Internships and fellowships

JPL offers research, internship and fellowship opportunities in the summer and throughout the year to high school through postdoctoral and faculty students. (In most cases, students must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents to apply, although foreign nationals studying at U.S. universities are eligible for limited programs.) Interns are sponsored through NASA programs, university partnerships and JPL mentors for research opportunities at the laboratory in areas including technology, robotics, planetary science, aerospace engineering, and astrophysics.[27]

In August 2013, JPL was named one of "The 10 Most Awesome College Labs of 2013" by Popular Science, which noted that about 100 students who intern at the laboratory are considered for permanent jobs at JPL after they graduate.[28]

The JPL Education Office also hosts the Planetary Science Summer School (PSSS), an annual week-long workshop for graduate and postdoctoral students. The program involves a one-week team design exercise developing an early mission concept study, working with JPL's Advanced Projects Design Team ("Team X") and other concurrent engineering teams.[29]

Museum Alliance

JPL created the NASA Museum Alliance in 2003 out of a desire to provide museums, planetariums, visitor centers and other kinds of informal educators with exhibit materials, professional development and information related to the then-upcoming landings of the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity.[30] The Alliance now has more than 500 members, who get access to NASA displays, models, educational workshops and networking opportunities through the program. Staff at educational organizations that meet the Museum Alliance requirements can register to participate online.[31]

The Museum Alliance is a subset of the JPL Education Office's Informal Education group, which also serves after-school and summer programs, parents and other kinds of informal educators.[32]

Educator Resource Center

The NASA/JPL Educator Resource Center, which is moving from its location at the Indian Hill Mall in Pomona, Calif. at the end of 2013,[33] offers resources, materials and free workshops for formal and informal educators covering science, technology, engineering and science topics related to NASA missions and science.

Open house

 
A display at the May 19, 2007 Open House

The lab had an open house once a year on a Saturday and Sunday in May or June, when the public was invited to tour the facilities and see live demonstrations of JPL science and technology. More limited private tours are also available throughout the year if scheduled well in advance. Thousands of schoolchildren from Southern California and elsewhere visit the lab every year.[34] Due to federal spending cuts mandated by budget sequestration, the open house has been previously cancelled.[35] JPL open house for 2014 was October 11 and 12 and 2015 was October 10 and 11. Starting from 2016, JPL replaced the annual Open House with "Ticket to Explore JPL", which features the same exhibits but requires tickets and advance reservation.[36] Roboticist and Mars rover driver Vandi Verma frequently acts as science communicator at open house type events to encourage children (and particularly girls) into STEM careers.[37][38][39]

Other works

In addition to its government work, JPL has also assisted the nearby motion picture and television industries, by advising them about scientific accuracy in their productions. Science fiction shows advised by JPL include Babylon 5 and its sequel series, Crusade.

JPL also works with the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS-S&T). JPL and DHS-S&T developed a search and rescue tool for first responders called FINDER. First responders can use FINDER to locate people still alive who are buried in rubble after a disaster or terrorist attack. FINDER uses microwave radar to detect breathing and pulses.[40]

Additionally, JPL is home to the JPL-RPIF (Jet Propulsion Laboratory – Regional Planetary Image Facility) which is chartered as a repository for all robotic spacecraft hard-copy data and thus provides a valuable resource to NASA funded science investigators, and an important conduit for the distribution of NASA generated materials to local educators in the Los Angeles/southern California area.[41][42]

Funding

JPL is a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) managed and operated by Caltech under a contract from NASA. In fiscal year 2012, the laboratory's budget was slightly under $1.5 billion, with the largest share going to Earth Science and Technology development.

Peanuts tradition

There is a tradition at JPL to eat "good luck peanuts" before critical mission events, such as orbital insertions or landings. As the story goes, after the Ranger program had experienced failure after failure during the 1960s, the first successful Ranger mission to impact the Moon occurred after a JPL staff member had decided to pass out peanuts to relieve tension. The staff jokingly decided that the peanuts must have been a good luck charm, and the tradition persisted.[43][44]

Missions

These are some of the missions partially sponsored by JPL:[45]

List of directors

Team X

The JPL Advanced Projects Design Team, also known as Team X, is an interdisciplinary team of engineers that utilizes "concurrent engineering methodologies to complete rapid design, analysis and evaluation of mission concept designs".[50]

Controversies

Employee background check lawsuit

Main article: NASA v. Nelson

On February 25, 2005, Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 was approved by the Secretary of Commerce.[51] This was followed by Federal Information Processing Standards 201 (FIPS 201), which specified how the federal government should implement personal identity verification. These specifications led to a need for rebadging to meet the updated requirements.

On August 30, 2007, a group of JPL employees filed suit in federal court against NASA, Caltech, and the Department of Commerce, claiming their constitutional rights were being violated by the new, overly invasive background investigations.[52] 97% of JPL employees were classified at the low-risk level and would be subjected to the same clearance procedures as those obtaining moderate/high risk clearance. Under HSPD 12 and FIPS 201, investigators have the right to obtain any information on employees, which includes questioning acquaintances on the status of the employee's mental, emotional, and financial stability. Additionally, if employees depart JPL before the end of the two-year validity of the background check, no investigation ability is terminated; former employees can still be legally monitored.

Employees were told that if they did not sign an unlimited waiver of privacy,[53] they would be deemed to have "voluntarily resigned".[54] The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit found the process violated the employees' privacy rights and issued a preliminary injunction.[55] NASA appealed and the US Supreme Court granted certiorari on March 8, 2010. On January 19, 2011, the Supreme Court overturned the Ninth Circuit decision, ruling that the background checks did not violate any constitutional privacy right that the employees may have had.[56]

Coppedge v Jet Propulsion Laboratory

On March 12, 2012, the Los Angeles Superior Court took opening statements on the case in which former JPL employee David Coppedge brought suit against the lab due to workplace discrimination and wrongful termination. In the suit, Coppedge alleges that he first lost his "team lead" status on JPL's Cassini-Huygens mission in 2009 and then was fired in 2011 because of his evangelical Christian beliefs and specifically his belief in intelligent design. Conversely, JPL, through the Caltech lawyers representing the laboratory, allege that Coppedge's termination was simply due to budget cuts and his demotion from team lead was because of harassment complaints and from on-going conflicts with his co-workers.[57] Superior Court Judge Ernest Hiroshige issued a final ruling in favor of JPL on January 16, 2013.[58]

References

  1. ^ a b Henry, Jason (2016-07-14). "Why does everyone say NASA's JPL is in Pasadena when this other city is its real home?". Pasadena Star-News. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  2. ^ "Master Government List of Federally Funded R&D Centers | NCSES | NSF". www.nsf.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  3. ^ "History". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  4. ^ Zibit, Benjamin Seth (1999). The Guggenheim Aeronautics Laboratory at Caltech and the creation of the modern rocket motor (1936–1946): How the dynamics of rocket theory became reality (Thesis). Bibcode:1999PhDT........48Z.
  5. ^ Smith, Richard Harris. "The 'Mystery Man' of Cal Tech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory".[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ . JPL. Archived from the original on 2015-06-07. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
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  8. ^ a b Conway, Erik M. . Engineering and Science. pp. 2–10. Archived from the original on 2011-01-07. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  9. ^ a b Launius, Roger (2002). To Reach High Frontier, A History of U.S. Launch Vehicles. University of Kentucky. pp. 39–42. ISBN 978-0-813-12245-8.
  10. ^ Solon, Olivia (April 23, 2014). "Occultist father of rocketry 'written out' of Nasa's history". Wired UK. Condé Nast. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  11. ^ Oleksinski, Johnny (June 19, 2018). "This sex-crazed cultist was the father of modern rocketry". New York Post. News Corp. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  12. ^ Keymeulen, Didier; Myers, John; Newton, Jason; Csaszar, Ambrus; et al. (2006). Humanoids for Lunar and Planetary Surface Operations. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Pasadena, CA: JPL TRS 1992+. hdl:2014/39699.
  13. ^ Bello, Francis (1959). . Fortune. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2012.
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  19. ^ "The Phoenix Mars Lander Team Wins 2009 Jack Swigert Award for Space Exploration". The Space Foundation. February 19, 2009. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  20. ^ "Local Agency Formation Commission for the County of Los Angeles" (PDF).
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  22. ^ "Directions and Maps". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
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  31. ^ "About Us | Museum Alliance". Informal.jpl.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2014-04-30.
  32. ^ Jpl.Nasa.Gov. "Inspire – JPL Education – NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory". Jpl.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2014-04-30.
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  36. ^ Ticket to Explore JPL Public Events
  37. ^ "Vandi Tompkins talk to the Mars Lab". Mars Lab TV (on YouTube). Event occurs at 19'45. Archived from the original on 2021-12-11. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
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  51. ^ HSPD-12 and JPL Rebadging Overview. HSPD12 JPL. Retrieved on 2013-07-21.
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  54. ^ "Declaration of Cozette Hart, JPL Human Resources Director" (PDF). October 1, 2007. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
  55. ^ "Nelson v. NASA – Preliminary Injunction issued by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit" (PDF). Jan 11, 2008. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
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  58. ^ . La Canada Valley Sun. January 17, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-01-23. Retrieved 2013-01-21.

Further reading

  • Conway, Erik M. Exploration and Engineering: The Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Quest for Mars (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016) 405 pp.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
  • Official website
  • "JPL and the Space Age: Explorer I". YouTube. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. January 31, 2022.
  • "JPL and the Space Age: Destination Moon". YouTube. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. March 15, 2022.
  • "JPL and the Space Age: The Changing Face of Mars". YouTube. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. March 31, 2022.

April 01, 2023
propulsion, laboratory, redirects, here, other, uses, disambiguation, federally, funded, research, development, center, city, cañada, flintridge, california, united, states, founded, 1936, caltech, researchers, laboratory, owned, sponsored, national, aeronauti. JPL redirects here For other uses see JPL disambiguation Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL is a federally funded research and development center in the City of La Canada Flintridge California United States 1 Founded in 1936 by Caltech researchers the laboratory is now owned and sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and administrated and managed by the California Institute of Technology 2 3 Jet Propulsion LaboratoryAerial view of JPLEstablishedOctober 31 1936 86 years ago 1936 10 31 Research typeAppliedDirectorLaurie LeshinStaff gt 6 000Address4800 Oak Grove DriveLocationLa Canada Flintridge California United States34 12 6 1 N 118 10 18 W 34 201694 N 118 17167 W 34 201694 118 17167 Coordinates 34 12 6 1 N 118 10 18 W 34 201694 N 118 17167 W 34 201694 118 17167SubdivisionJPL Science DivisionOperating agencyManaged for NASA by CaltechWebsitejpl nasa govMapLocation in CaliforniaShow map of CaliforniaJet Propulsion Laboratory the United States Show map of the United StatesThe 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 and the Ingenuity Mars helicopter 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 forthcoming 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 Contents 1 History 2 Location 3 Employees 4 Education 4 1 Internships and fellowships 4 2 Museum Alliance 4 3 Educator Resource Center 5 Open house 6 Other works 7 Funding 8 Peanuts tradition 9 Missions 10 List of directors 11 Team X 12 Controversies 12 1 Employee background check lawsuit 12 2 Coppedge v Jet Propulsion Laboratory 13 References 14 Further reading 15 External linksHistory Edit The control room at JPL JPL traces its beginnings to 1936 in the Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology GALCIT when the first set of rocket experiments were carried out in the Arroyo Seco 4 Caltech graduate students Frank Malina Qian Xuesen Weld Arnold 5 and Apollo M O Smith along with Jack Parsons and Edward S Forman tested a small alcohol fueled motor to gather data for Malina s graduate thesis citation needed Malina s thesis advisor was engineer aerodynamicist Theodore von Karman who eventually arranged for U S Army financial support for this GALCIT Rocket Project in 1939 In 1941 Malina Parsons Forman Martin Summerfield and pilot Homer Bushey demonstrated the first jet assisted takeoff JATO rockets to the Army In 1943 von Karman Malina Parsons and Forman established the Aerojet Corporation to manufacture JATO rockets The project took on the name Jet Propulsion Laboratory in November 1943 formally becoming an Army facility operated under contract by the university 6 7 8 9 In 1944 Parsons was expelled due to his unorthodox and unsafe working methods following one of several FBI investigations into his involvement with the occult drugs and sexual promiscuity 10 11 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 12 It also developed a number of other weapons system prototypes such as the Loki anti aircraft missile system and the forerunner of the Aerobee sounding rocket At various times it carried out rocket testing at the White Sands Proving Ground Edwards Air Force Base and Goldstone California 9 In 1954 JPL teamed up with Wernher von Braun s engineers at the Army Ballistic Missile Agency s Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville Alabama to propose orbiting a satellite during the International Geophysical Year The team lost that proposal to Project Vanguard and instead embarked on a classified project to demonstrate ablative re entry technology using a Jupiter C rocket They carried out three successful sub orbital flights in 1956 and 1957 Using a spare Juno I a modified Jupiter C with a fourth stage the two organizations then launched the United States first satellite Explorer 1 on January 31 1958 7 8 MSL mockup compared with the Mars Exploration Rover and Sojourner rover by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on May 12 2008 JPL was transferred to NASA in December 1958 13 becoming the agency s primary planetary spacecraft center JPL engineers designed and operated Ranger and Surveyor missions to the Moon that prepared the way for Apollo JPL also led the way in interplanetary exploration with the Mariner missions to Venus Mars and Mercury 7 In 1998 JPL opened the Near Earth Object Program Office for NASA 14 As of 2013 it has found 95 of asteroids that are a kilometer or more in diameter that cross Earth s orbit 15 JPL was early to employ female mathematicians In the 1940s and 1950s using mechanical calculators women in an all female computations group performed trajectory calculations 16 17 In 1961 JPL hired Dana Ulery as the first female engineer to work alongside male engineers as part of the Ranger and Mariner mission tracking teams 18 JPL has been recognized four times by the Space Foundation with the Douglas S Morrow Public Outreach Award which is given annually to an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to public awareness of space programs in 1998 and with the John L Jack Swigert Jr Award for Space Exploration on three occasions in 2009 as part of NASA s Phoenix Mars Lander Team 19 2006 and 2005 Location Edit JPL developed Sergeant left and Corporal right missiles on display at JPL in April 2006 When it was founded JPL s site was immediately west of a rocky flood plain the Arroyo Seco riverbed above the Devil s Gate dam in the northwestern panhandle of the city of Pasadena in Southern California near Los Angeles While the first few buildings were constructed in land bought from the city of Pasadena 1 subsequent buildings were constructed in neighboring unincorporated land that later became part of La Canada Flintridge Nowadays most of the 168 acres 68 ha of the U S federal government owned NASA property that makes up the JPL campus is located in La Canada Flintridge 20 21 Despite this JPL still uses a Pasadena address 4800 Oak Grove Drive Pasadena CA 91109 as its official mailing address 22 There has been occasional rivalry between the two cities over the issue of which one should be mentioned in the media as the home of the laboratory 21 23 24 25 Employees Edit A 1960s advert reads When you were a kid science fiction gave you a sense of wonder Now you feel the same just by going to work There are approximately 6 000 full time Caltech employees and typically a few thousand additional contractors working on any given day NASA also has a resident office at the facility staffed by federal managers who oversee JPL s activities and work for NASA There are also some Caltech graduate students college student interns and co op students Education EditThe JPL Education Office serves educators and students by providing them with activities resources materials and opportunities tied to NASA missions and science The mission of its programs is to introduce and further students interest in pursuing STEM science technology engineering and mathematics careers 26 Internships and fellowships Edit JPL offers research internship and fellowship opportunities in the summer and throughout the year to high school through postdoctoral and faculty students In most cases students must be U S citizens or legal permanent residents to apply although foreign nationals studying at U S universities are eligible for limited programs Interns are sponsored through NASA programs university partnerships and JPL mentors for research opportunities at the laboratory in areas including technology robotics planetary science aerospace engineering and astrophysics 27 In August 2013 JPL was named one of The 10 Most Awesome College Labs of 2013 by Popular Science which noted that about 100 students who intern at the laboratory are considered for permanent jobs at JPL after they graduate 28 The JPL Education Office also hosts the Planetary Science Summer School PSSS an annual week long workshop for graduate and postdoctoral students The program involves a one week team design exercise developing an early mission concept study working with JPL s Advanced Projects Design Team Team X and other concurrent engineering teams 29 Museum Alliance Edit JPL created the NASA Museum Alliance in 2003 out of a desire to provide museums planetariums visitor centers and other kinds of informal educators with exhibit materials professional development and information related to the then upcoming landings of the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity 30 The Alliance now has more than 500 members who get access to NASA displays models educational workshops and networking opportunities through the program Staff at educational organizations that meet the Museum Alliance requirements can register to participate online 31 The Museum Alliance is a subset of the JPL Education Office s Informal Education group which also serves after school and summer programs parents and other kinds of informal educators 32 Educator Resource Center Edit The NASA JPL Educator Resource Center which is moving from its location at the Indian Hill Mall in Pomona Calif at the end of 2013 33 offers resources materials and free workshops for formal and informal educators covering science technology engineering and science topics related to NASA missions and science Open house Edit A display at the May 19 2007 Open House The lab had an open house once a year on a Saturday and Sunday in May or June when the public was invited to tour the facilities and see live demonstrations of JPL science and technology More limited private tours are also available throughout the year if scheduled well in advance Thousands of schoolchildren from Southern California and elsewhere visit the lab every year 34 Due to federal spending cuts mandated by budget sequestration the open house has been previously cancelled 35 JPL open house for 2014 was October 11 and 12 and 2015 was October 10 and 11 Starting from 2016 JPL replaced the annual Open House with Ticket to Explore JPL which features the same exhibits but requires tickets and advance reservation 36 Roboticist and Mars rover driver Vandi Verma frequently acts as science communicator at open house type events to encourage children and particularly girls into STEM careers 37 38 39 Other works EditIn addition to its government work JPL has also assisted the nearby motion picture and television industries by advising them about scientific accuracy in their productions Science fiction shows advised by JPL include Babylon 5 and its sequel series Crusade JPL also works with the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate DHS S amp T JPL and DHS S amp T developed a search and rescue tool for first responders called FINDER First responders can use FINDER to locate people still alive who are buried in rubble after a disaster or terrorist attack FINDER uses microwave radar to detect breathing and pulses 40 Additionally JPL is home to the JPL RPIF Jet Propulsion Laboratory Regional Planetary Image Facility which is chartered as a repository for all robotic spacecraft hard copy data and thus provides a valuable resource to NASA funded science investigators and an important conduit for the distribution of NASA generated materials to local educators in the Los Angeles southern California area 41 42 Funding EditJPL is a federally funded research and development center FFRDC managed and operated by Caltech under a contract from NASA In fiscal year 2012 the laboratory s budget was slightly under 1 5 billion with the largest share going to Earth Science and Technology development Peanuts tradition EditThere is a tradition at JPL to eat good luck peanuts before critical mission events such as orbital insertions or landings As the story goes after the Ranger program had experienced failure after failure during the 1960s the first successful Ranger mission to impact the Moon occurred after a JPL staff member had decided to pass out peanuts to relieve tension The staff jokingly decided that the peanuts must have been a good luck charm and the tradition persisted 43 44 Missions EditThese are some of the missions partially sponsored by JPL 45 ASTERIA spacecraft Cassini Huygens CloudSat Deep Space 1 and 2 Europa Clipper Explorer program Galileo probe Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment GRACE InSight Juno Magellan probe Mariner program Mars 2020 Mars Climate Orbiter Mars Cube One Mars Exploration Rover Mission Mars Global Surveyor Mars Odyssey Mars Pathfinder Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Science Laboratory Ocean Surface Topography Mission OSTM Jason 2 Orbiting Carbon Observatory Phoenix spacecraft Pioneer 3 and 4 Psyche Journey to a Metal World Ranger program Shuttle Radar Topography Mission Soil Moisture Active Passive SMAP Spitzer Space Telescope Stardust Surveyor program Viking program Voyager program Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 Wide field Infrared Survey ExplorerList of directors EditTheodore von Karman 1938 1944 Frank Malina 1944 1946 Louis Dunn 1946 October 1 1954 William Hayward Pickering October 1 1954 March 31 1976 Bruce C Murray April 1 1976 June 30 1982 Lew Allen Jr July 22 1982 December 31 1990 Edward C Stone January 1 1991 April 30 2001 Charles Elachi May 1 2001 June 30 2016 46 Michael M Watkins July 1 2016 47 August 20 2021 48 Larry D James interim August 21 2021 May 15 2022 48 Laurie Leshin May 16 2022 present 49 Team X EditThe JPL Advanced Projects Design Team also known as Team X is an interdisciplinary team of engineers that utilizes concurrent engineering methodologies to complete rapid design analysis and evaluation of mission concept designs 50 Controversies EditEmployee background check lawsuit Edit Main article NASA v Nelson On February 25 2005 Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 was approved by the Secretary of Commerce 51 This was followed by Federal Information Processing Standards 201 FIPS 201 which specified how the federal government should implement personal identity verification These specifications led to a need for rebadging to meet the updated requirements On August 30 2007 a group of JPL employees filed suit in federal court against NASA Caltech and the Department of Commerce claiming their constitutional rights were being violated by the new overly invasive background investigations 52 97 of JPL employees were classified at the low risk level and would be subjected to the same clearance procedures as those obtaining moderate high risk clearance Under HSPD 12 and FIPS 201 investigators have the right to obtain any information on employees which includes questioning acquaintances on the status of the employee s mental emotional and financial stability Additionally if employees depart JPL before the end of the two year validity of the background check no investigation ability is terminated former employees can still be legally monitored Employees were told that if they did not sign an unlimited waiver of privacy 53 they would be deemed to have voluntarily resigned 54 The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit found the process violated the employees privacy rights and issued a preliminary injunction 55 NASA appealed and the US Supreme Court granted certiorari on March 8 2010 On January 19 2011 the Supreme Court overturned the Ninth Circuit decision ruling that the background checks did not violate any constitutional privacy right that the employees may have had 56 Coppedge v Jet Propulsion Laboratory Edit On March 12 2012 the Los Angeles Superior Court took opening statements on the case in which former JPL employee David Coppedge brought suit against the lab due to workplace discrimination and wrongful termination In the suit Coppedge alleges that he first lost his team lead status on JPL s Cassini Huygens mission in 2009 and then was fired in 2011 because of his evangelical Christian beliefs and specifically his belief in intelligent design Conversely JPL through the Caltech lawyers representing the laboratory allege that Coppedge s termination was simply due to budget cuts and his demotion from team lead was because of harassment complaints and from on going conflicts with his co workers 57 Superior Court Judge Ernest Hiroshige issued a final ruling in favor of JPL on January 16 2013 58 References Edit a b Henry Jason 2016 07 14 Why does everyone say NASA s JPL is in Pasadena when this other city is its real home Pasadena Star News Retrieved 2023 02 25 Master Government List of Federally Funded R amp D Centers NCSES NSF www nsf gov Retrieved 2023 03 08 History Jet Propulsion Laboratory Retrieved 2023 02 25 Zibit Benjamin Seth 1999 The Guggenheim Aeronautics Laboratory at Caltech and the creation of the modern rocket motor 1936 1946 How the dynamics of rocket theory became reality Thesis Bibcode 1999PhDT 48Z Smith Richard Harris The Mystery Man of Cal Tech s Jet Propulsion Laboratory permanent dead link Early Years JPL Archived from the original on 2015 06 07 Retrieved 2010 08 18 a b c Koppes Clayton 1 April 1982 JPL and the American Space Program The American Historical Review New Haven Yale University Press 89 2 a b Conway Erik M From Rockets to Spacecraft Making JPL a Place for Planetary Science Engineering and Science pp 2 10 Archived from the original on 2011 01 07 Retrieved 2009 01 12 a b Launius Roger 2002 To Reach High Frontier A History of U S Launch Vehicles University of Kentucky pp 39 42 ISBN 978 0 813 12245 8 Solon Olivia April 23 2014 Occultist father of rocketry written out of Nasa s history Wired UK Conde Nast Retrieved 6 October 2019 Oleksinski Johnny June 19 2018 This sex crazed cultist was the father of modern rocketry New York Post News Corp Retrieved 6 October 2019 Keymeulen Didier Myers John Newton Jason Csaszar Ambrus et al 2006 Humanoids for Lunar and Planetary Surface Operations Jet Propulsion Laboratory National Aeronautics and Space Administration Pasadena CA JPL TRS 1992 hdl 2014 39699 Bello Francis 1959 The Early Space Age Fortune Archived from the original on November 3 2013 Retrieved June 5 2012 Whalen Mark Murrill Mary Beth 24 July 1998 JPL will establish Near Earth Object Program Office for NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory NASA Archived from the original on 13 March 2013 Retrieved 19 February 2013 NASA scrambles for better asteroid detection France 24 18 February 2013 Archived from the original on 10 April 2013 Retrieved 19 February 2013 Women Made Early Inroads at JPL NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Jpl nasa gov Retrieved on 2013 07 21 1 Archived November 7 2010 at the Wayback Machine Bibliography PDF pub lib jpl nasa gov Archived from the original PDF on 2017 01 31 Retrieved 2011 01 10 The Phoenix Mars Lander Team Wins 2009 Jack Swigert Award for Space Exploration The Space Foundation February 19 2009 Retrieved December 5 2022 Local Agency Formation Commission for the County of Los Angeles PDF a b Location of NASA s JPL is a bit of a curiosity 9 August 2012 Directions and Maps Jet Propulsion Laboratory Retrieved 29 April 2017 Pasadena to ask JPL land annexation Pasadena Star News 11 March 1976 JPL Faces an identity crisis following incorporation vote Pasadena Star News 15 Nov 1976 The great battle for JPL La Canada Valley Sun 18 Mar 1976 Jpl Nasa Gov About Us JPL Education NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Jpl nasa gov Retrieved 2014 04 30 Jpl Nasa Gov Student Programs Internships amp Fellowships at JPL JPL Education NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Jpl nasa gov Retrieved 2014 04 30 The 10 Most Awesome College Labs Of 2013 Popular Science Popsci com 2013 08 20 Retrieved 2014 04 30 Planetary Science Summer School Retrieved May 14 2008 Jpl Nasa Gov 2012 05 23 JPL Education NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Jpl nasa gov Retrieved 2014 04 30 About Us Museum Alliance Informal jpl nasa gov Retrieved 2014 04 30 Jpl Nasa Gov Inspire JPL Education NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Jpl nasa gov Retrieved 2014 04 30 Jpl Nasa Gov Educator Resource Center JPL Education NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Jpl nasa gov Retrieved 2014 04 30 JPL Open House Jet Propulsion Laboratory Archived from the original on January 18 2009 Retrieved January 2 2009 Open House At JPL Closed To Public Over Sequestration CBS Los Angeles Losangeles cbslocal com 2013 04 22 Retrieved 2014 04 30 Ticket to Explore JPL Public Events Vandi Tompkins talk to the Mars Lab Mars Lab TV on YouTube Event occurs at 19 45 Archived from the original on 2021 12 11 Retrieved 8 February 2019 Siders Jennifer Torres 15 August 2017 Women from JPL which is managed for NASA by Caltech address high school students Prospective Applicants Explore Opportunities for Women at Caltech Caltech Retrieved 8 February 2019 Life on Mars Twig Education 2017 06 06 Archived from the original on 2018 05 19 Retrieved 8 February 2019 Cohen Bryan DHS staff members attend annual Day on the Hill Archived 2014 02 16 at archive today BioPrepWatch February 10 2014 Retrieved 02 10 2014 OVERVIEW OF THE REGIONAL PLANETARY IMAGE FACILITY RPIF AT THE JET PROPULSION LABORATORY PDF 47th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2016 RPIF rpif jpl nasa gov Archived from the original on 2018 11 29 Retrieved 2019 03 16 NPR All Things Considered interview referring to peanuts tradition NPR org Retrieved January 3 2009 Planetary Society chat log for Phoenix referring to peanuts tradition Archived from the original on November 21 2008 Retrieved January 3 2009 JPL NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Missions Jpl nasa gov Retrieved August 26 2010 JPL Directors JPL Archived from the original on June 7 2017 Retrieved August 26 2010 News Michael Watkins Named Next JPL Director Jet Propulsion Laboratory May 2 2016 Retrieved August 24 2016 a b JPL Director Michael Watkins to Return to Academia NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL August 9 2021 Retrieved 2021 09 09 Caltech Names Laurie Leshin Director of JPL Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL Team X Jplteamx jpl nasa gov August 31 2007 Retrieved August 18 2010 HSPD 12 and JPL Rebadging Overview HSPD12 JPL Retrieved on 2013 07 21 Overview HSPD12 JPL Retrieved on 2013 07 21 US Office of Personnel Management Questionnaire for Non Sensitive Positions PDF Retrieved August 26 2010 Declaration of Cozette Hart JPL Human Resources Director PDF October 1 2007 Retrieved August 26 2010 Nelson v NASA Preliminary Injunction issued by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit PDF Jan 11 2008 Retrieved August 26 2010 National Aeronautics and Space Administration et al v Nelson et al No 09 530 U S January 19 2011 Former NASA specialist claims he was fired over intelligent design Fox News March 11 2012 Judge confirms earlier ruling sides with JPL in intelligent design case La Canada Valley Sun January 17 2013 Archived from the original on 2013 01 23 Retrieved 2013 01 21 Further reading EditConway Erik M Exploration and Engineering The Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Quest for Mars Johns Hopkins University Press 2016 405 pp External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jet Propulsion Laboratory Official website JPL and the Space Age Explorer I YouTube NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory January 31 2022 JPL and the Space Age Destination Moon YouTube NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory March 15 2022 JPL and the Space Age The Changing Face of Mars YouTube NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory March 31 2022 Portals Science Education Astronomy Stars Spaceflight Outer space Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jet Propulsion Laboratory amp oldid 1143503626, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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