NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Marks 90 Years of Space Exploration

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is preparing to celebrate its 90th anniversary, NASA News and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory reported. The facility began operating when graduate students from the California Institute of Technology conducted rocket propulsion tests in Pasadena, California, on October 31, 1936. [1][2]

The laboratory originally served as a contractor for the United States Army before transitioning to space exploration. NASA News and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory noted that the facility launched Explorer 1, the first artificial satellite sent into space by the United States, in 1958. [1][2]

Caltech manages the laboratory for NASA today. According to NASA News and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the facility is looking ahead to developing future concepts including interstellar probes, lunar drones, and additional Mars helicopters. [1][2]