Jet Propulsion Laboratory
If you want to remember important past events then the best thing for you to do is to visit a museum. But what if you want to see what the future has in store? Where can you go? There’s actually a place in Pasadena where you can get a glimpse of the future. And that place is NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory or JPL for short. Many people have no idea what is inside JPL. Because it’s founded by NASA, most people think that it’s all about space stuff. If you’re planning to go to JPL soon then this article is for you. This article serves as a short guide. It has important things you need to know before you visit JPL.
The first thing that you need to know about the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is its main purpose. Why was it created in the first place? The main function of the JPL is to build and send robotic spacecraft to go to other planets and other celestial bodies. But it also holds earth to orbit and astronomy missions. When you go to JPL, you’ll first be taken to the theater where you will be given a short introduction to the lab. The tour guides at JPL are knowledgeable about the lab and about space exploration. And they are more than happy to tell you everything you need to know about the place. 
You’ll learn a lot from the film presentation alone. You’ll learn about the different planets and how JPL has probed these planets through its satellites. It’s a very well-produced film. Those who are interested in space and the planets will surely enjoy the film. But you will not only see the satellites and spacecraft in the film. There are actual models of the spacecraft in the exhibition area. So you’ll be able to see them up close. It’s understandable that spacecraft that have gone to Mars are the ones that are getting the most attention. But you’ll also see the probes sent to other planets such as Juno that has been orbiting Jupiter since and Cassini that has been deliberately crashed into Saturn’s atmosphere after its 13-year mission to explore the rings and moons of the planet. It has actually broken the world record for the longest space mission.
When you visit JPL, you’ll be able to see the golden record of the Voyager spacecraft. These records were encoded with photos and sound recordings from Earth just so aliens will know something about humans and this planet if ever they discover the records. What you need to know about the Voyager spacecraft is that they are still traveling in space. They are now more than 11,000,000 miles away from Earth. It’s an amazing feat if you think about it. You’ll also be able to view the Space Flight Operations Facility (SFOF) or Mission Control. It’s where NASA has monitored and controlled all space exploration missions since 1963. Are you familiar with the Apollo missions? Then you’ll be delighted to know that SFOF also served as the backup communications for those missions.
The tour will also take you to another building inside the JPL campus. It’s called the Clean Room. It’s called that because it’s important for the place to remain clean because of the important work being done there. The people who work there are required to wear all-white suits so as to avoid human contamination. This is where the Mars 2020 Rover was tested before it was launched earlier this year. And speaking of Mars, the people at JPL estimate that humans will be sent to the red planet by 2030. It’s something that space geeks are excited to witness.
A trip to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a very enriching experience that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. And if you’re a space geek or an aspiring astronaut, then a tour of JPL would be a dream come true. It’s a good place to take the kids as a weekend activity. For sure, they will learn a lot from the trip. It may even encourage them to study more about astronomy or even robotics. And for adults, you’ll surely feel young again when you visit JPL.