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NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
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Federally funded space science R&D center
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
Work Here?
Federally funded space science R&D center
Overview
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) designs, builds, and operates robotic spacecraft and instruments for planetary exploration, Earth science, and space-based astronomy, and develops space technologies. It turns science ideas into missions by having engineers design and test spacecraft, launch them with NASA, and operate missions from mission control using onboard systems and ground data processing to collect science data. JPL stands out as NASA’s primary in-house center for robotic space missions, with a long history and a strong Caltech partnership that supports end-to-end mission delivery. Its goal is to turn scientific investigations into real operating space missions that explore the solar system and Earth, advance technical capabilities, and inspire discovery.
About NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
Industries
Company Size
5,001-10,000
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Pasadena, California
Founded
1936
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- ESTO-funded FAME deployments run through 2028, extending JPL’s Earth-AI runway.
- March 2026 GUARDIAN showed JPL’s real-time tsunami warning software.
- Cal State LA’s NASA grants expand JPL’s student pipeline in remote sensing.
What critics are saying
- October 2025 layoffs cut roughly 550 jobs, following earlier 2024 and 2025 reductions.
- Trump’s 2027 budget request targets NASA science cuts and more JPL mission cancellations.
- Mars Sample Return’s collapse already gutted JPL; another cut cycle threatens the lab’s core.
What makes NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) unique
- Caltech-run JPL still leads NASA’s deepest planetary robotics, autonomy, and radar engineering.
- June 2026 Loft Orbital demos validate JPL’s on-orbit AI for disaster monitoring.
- May 2026 rotor tests pushed Mars helicopter blades past Mach 1 at JPL.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Wellness Program
Paid Vacation
Parental Leave
Childcare Support
Flexible Work Hours
Company News
Loft Orbital has secured an agreement with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to host and demonstrate AI software on its space infrastructure. The collaboration, part of JPL's Federated Autonomous MEasurement project funded by NASA's Earth Science Technology Office, will advance on-orbit AI capabilities for Earth science remote sensing. Flight demonstrations began in June 2026, with additional deployments scheduled through 2028. JPL's AI software aims to reduce data latency by processing information in near-real time, delivering urgent insights on wildfires, flooding and natural disasters to emergency responders. The spacecraft will demonstrate autonomous tip-and-queue tasking without ground intervention using intersatellite links. Founded in 2017, Loft Orbital has flown over 25 missions and operates facilities in San Francisco, Colorado and Toulouse, France.
Next-generation Mars helicopter prototype (NASA)YOU'LL NOW BE ABLE TO CHARGE YOUR DEVICES ON THE MOONNASA's next-gen Mars helicopterNASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is working on a concept for a next-generation Mars helicopter that could revolutionize exploration of the red planet.
Pickering retired from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1976 and served for two years as director of the research institute of the University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia.
JPL to lay off 325 employees, about 5% of its workforce, amid budget cuts.
JPL scientists will work closely with Cal State LA faculty on this two-year project to strengthen the university's research capacity in remote sensing.
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is Hiring for 62 Jobs on Simplify!
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About NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
Industries
Company Size
5,001-10,000
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Pasadena, California
Founded
1936
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is Hiring for 62 Jobs on Simplify!
Find jobs on Simplify and start your career today