jpl
Latest
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is laying off 570 workers
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is laying off around 570 workers as it expects to be allocated a smaller budget than hoped for. For instance, JPL is expected to receive around a third of the funding it wanted for the Mars Sample Return mission this year.
Amazon's Opportunity Mars rover documentary hits Prime Video on November 23rd
More than a year after it was first announced, Amazon has shared a trailer for Good Night Oppy.
Don't blame SpaceX for that rocket on a collision course with the Moon
It looks like Elon Musk and company aren't about to lose face.
NASA's JPL appoints its first female director
NASA's JPL has appointed its first female director, Dr. Laurie Leshin.
NASA hopes to speed up mission scheduling with help from Microsoft's Quantum division
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is partnering with Microsoft’s Azure Quantum team to explore ways to communicate more efficiently with spacecraft.
NASA's Curiosity rover video shows a fresh panoramic view of Mars
A progress report from the Curiosity Rover.
Curiosity rover offers a rare glimpse of cloudy days on Mars
NASA's Curiosity rover has offered a rare peek at clouds on Mars, and they've already led to a discovery.
Amazon's 'Good Night Oppy' will tell the story of NASA's Opportunity Mars rover
With Perseverance capturing the imagination of people the world over, Amazon plans to tell the story of one of its predecessors.
NASA awards key contract to bring rock samples back from Mars
NASA has taken a big step in the Mars Sample Return mission, awarding the Mars Ascent Propulsion System (MAPS) contract to longtime NASA contractor Northrup Grumman Systems.
NASA reveals how its SPHEREx space telescope will search for big bang clues
NASA has hit a key milestone in the development of SPHEREx space telescope, designed for the lofty purpose of studying the Big Bang theory and origins of galaxies.
NASA made a necklace that reminds you not to touch your face
You can make your own Pulse with a few parts and a 3D-printed case.
Eight US companies will manufacture NASA’s COVID-19 ventilator
Eight US companies will manufacture the ventilator designed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and fast-tracked by the FDA.
NASA will license its FDA-approved ventilator to manufacturers for free
A high-pressure ventilator developed by NASA engineers and designed to treat COVID-19 has received FDA approval via a fast-tracked emergency use authorization.
NASA is crowdsourcing a sensor that can survive Venus
Venus is hostile to just about everything, including probes -- and while NASA thinks it has Venus-resistant electronics, that doesn't mean future rovers are ready to touch down on the planet's hellish surface. To that end, NASA wants your help. It's teaming with HeroX on a crowdsourced competition to develop an obstacle avoidance sensor that could survive on the Venus-bound AREE explorer. A total of $30,000 in prizes will go to the top three sensors that can navigate rough terrain while withstanding the extreme temperatures (over 800F) and pressure (92 times that of Earth) of the planet.
NASA decommissions Spitzer Space Telescope after 16 years of service
NASA is flipping the switch on the Spitzer Space Telescope today. The observatory has made groundbreaking discoveries about the universe since its launch in 2003, from imaging some of the oldest stars in the universe to detecting the light reflected by exoplanets. The Spitzer was previously scheduled to go offline in 2018, but has continued operating due to NASA's followup telescope being postponed. With the James Webb Space Telescope nearing completion, Spitzer's mission is over.
Watch a 'transforming' drone blast out of a cannon
Researchers launched a drone from a pneumatic baseball pitching machine strapped to a truck traveling 50 miles per hour. They hope this ballistic launch method might lead to drones that are better suited for emergency response and space exploration missions.
A rogue Raspberry Pi helped hackers access NASA JPL systems
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) suffers from multiple cybersecurity weaknesses despite the advances it has achieved in space technology, according to the agency's Office of Inspector General (PDF). Investigators looked into the research center's network security controls after an April 2018 security breach, wherein a Raspberry Pi that was not authorized to be linked to the JPL network was targeted by hackers. The attackers were able to steal 500 megabytes of data from one of its major mission systems, and they also used that chance to find a gateway that allowed them to go deeper into JPL's network.
NASA proves its space helicopter can fly on Mars
The scientists working on NASA's Mars helicopter project are done building the actual 4-pound vehicle that's blasting off to the red planet with the Mars 2020 rover. But they can't just strap the helicopter to its bigger companion's belly and call it a day -- they first have to prove that it can actually fly in Martian conditions. That's why in late January, the team replicated our neighboring planet's much thinner atmosphere in JPL's Space Simulator in order to make sure the helicopter will be able to take off. Spoiler alert: they were able to successfully conduct two test flights in Martian conditions on separate days.
Fluoride discovery could lead to much longer-lasting EV batteries
Researchers have announced a new battery breakthrough that focuses on the negative. Rather than using lithium, the most electro-positive element on the periodic table, they used fluoride, the most electro-negative. It can store more energy than its lithium doppelgänger, but until now, batteries needed to run hot at 150 degrees Celsius or more. Honda, Caltech and NASA scientists discovered a way to make it work at room temperature, which could eventually yield more energy dense and environmentally safe batteries for EVs and other devices.
