JPLs

JPLs, most commonly expanding to Jet Propulsion Laboratory, refers to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The laboratory is based in Pasadena, California, and conducts robotic space missions, develops spaceflight technologies, and carries out related Earth science and astronomy investigations. The plural form JPLs is rarely used in practice and, when encountered, may refer to multiple laboratories with similar acronyms or to multiple projects within JPL.

JPL originated in the 1930s as part of Caltech’s Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory, evolving into a dedicated spaceflight laboratory. After NASA’s establishment, it became NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1958 and has since been a leading center for planetary exploration and deep-space missions. The facility operates as a federally funded research and development center managed by Caltech for NASA.

Missions and programs conducted by JPL include the design, construction, and operation of interplanetary spacecraft and scientific instruments. Notable missions associated with JPL encompass the Voyager probes, Mars rovers such as Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the Juno mission to Jupiter, among others. JPL also contributes to Earth-observing satellites and astronomical projects, providing mission operations, data processing, and science analysis.

Organization and funding: JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed by Caltech for NASA. It collaborates with other NASA centers, international space agencies, universities, and industry partners. Data produced by JPL missions are typically shared with the scientific community and the public after validation, supporting ongoing research and education.

See also: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA planetary science missions, Mars exploration rovers, deep-space navigation and communication.