NASA is opening the management of its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to competition, ending Caltech's run under sole-source contracts that began in 1958. Last week it hosted an industry event for prospective bidders. Texas A&M University System, which already co-manages Los Alamos National Laboratory, has said it will bid. USC's president says the university is weighing one, and Caltech will also respond. JPL's management contract is worth over $2 billion per year. NASA says the competition is meant to ensure accountability, taxpayer value, and continued mission performance. Proposals are due in the third quarter of 2027, with an award in the first quarter of 2028. The new contract starts on October 1, 2028.

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.