JPL News

The latest space news from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

3 Things We've Learned From NASA's Mars InSight

16 Dec 2020 at 8:12pm

Clouds drift over the dome-covered seismometer, known as SEIS, belonging to NASA's InSight lander, on Mars

Scientists are finding new mysteries since the geophysics mission landed two years ago.

Spinoff Highlights NASA Technology Paying Dividends in the US Economy

15 Dec 2020 at 8:12pm

On May 28, 2020, UCLA's Dr. Tisha Wang (far left) and colleagues pose after testing a compressed-air version of the VITAL prototype

NASA's technology is at the forefront of space exploration, but it can also be applied here on Earth - from improving cellular networks to saving lives in the pandemic.

From NASA JPL's Mailroom to Mars and Beyond

14 Dec 2020 at 8:12pm

Bill Allen in JPL's Mars Yard in early 2020

Bill Allen has thrived as the mechanical systems design lead for three Mars rover missions, but he got his start as a teenager sorting letters for the NASA center.

NASA's Juno Spacecraft Updates Quarter-Century Jupiter Mystery

11 Dec 2020 at 8:12pm

In this animated GIF, the clouds on the periphery of some of Jupiter's polar cyclones rotate counterclockwise, while the core of the cyclones rotate clockwise

The spacecraft has been collecting data on the gas giant's interior since July 2016. Some of its latest findings touch on "hot spots" in the planet's atmosphere.

NASA, US and European Partner Satellite Returns First Sea Level Measurements

10 Dec 2020 at 8:12pm

The data in this graphic are the first sea surface height measurements from the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite (S6MF), which launched Nov. 21, 2020

Launched on a Falcon 9 rocket Nov. 21, the U.S.-European satellite will measure the world's ocean with unprecedented accuracy.

5 Hidden Gems Are Riding Aboard NASA's Perseverance Rover

8 Dec 2020 at 8:12pm

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover is 'festooned' with a variety of objects that serve both decorative and functional purposes

The symbols, mottos, and small objects added to the agency's newest Mars rover serve a variety of purposes, from functional to decorative.

NASA Confirms New SIMPLEx Mission Small Satellite to Blaze Trails Studying Lu...

2 Dec 2020 at 8:12pm

Artist's illustration of the Lunar Trailblazer satellite

Producing maps to locate ice or water trapped in rock at the Moon's surface, Lunar Trailblazer will help support NASA's efforts to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon.

New Data Confirm 2020 SO to Be the Upper Centaur Rocket Booster From the 1960's

2 Dec 2020 at 8:12pm

NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility on Maunakea on the Big Island of Hawaii

The object, discovered in September by astronomers searching for near-Earth asteroids, garnered interest in the planetary science community due to its size and unusual orbit.

Holidays at JPL

1 Dec 2020 at 8:00am

By Kylie I Casino

The holiday season has always been a jolly time at JPL. Starting as early as 1944, we see comical advertisements for the annual GALCIT Christmas Party. This edition of JPL’s first employee periodical, The GALCIT Ear, called for nominations for ‘a bigger and better Santa Clau...

Follow Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich in Real Time As It Orbits Earth

25 Nov 2020 at 8:11pm

Screenshot of Sentinel-6 as it appears on NASA's Eyes visualization tool

With NASA's Eyes on the Earth web-based app, you can tag along with the U.S.-European satellite as it orbits the globe, gathering critical measurements of our changing planet.