Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Space center in La Cañada Flintridge, United States
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a NASA research center in La Cañada Flintridge that builds and operates robotic missions to other planets. The site covers around 168 acres (68 hectares) with labs, control rooms, and workshops where engineers and scientists work on missions exploring the solar system.
A group of Caltech researchers founded the lab in 1936 for rocket tests in the mountains near Pasadena. NASA took over the facility in 1958 and has since led missions to the Moon, Mars, Venus, and beyond from here.
The facility maintains extensive educational programs, offering internships and collaborating with museums to promote space science knowledge among students and the public.
The center offers free guided tours, but you need to book several weeks ahead. Tours run only on certain weekdays and require you to show identification when entering the gate.
From here, antennas in California, Spain, and Australia are controlled to receive signals from probes across the solar system. These three locations ensure that the Earth can rotate without losing contact with spacecraft.
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