"Do not go where the path may lead," wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson. "Go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail." That could be the motto of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Trailblazing has been the business of JPL since it was established by the California Institute of Technology in the 1930s. America's first satellite, Explorer 1 which launched in 1958, was created at JPL. In the decades that followed, we sent the first robotic craft to the moon and out across the solar system, reconnoitering all of the planets. Pushing the outer edge of exploration, in fact, is the reason JPL exists as a NASA laboratory.

In total, JPL has 18 spacecraft and eight instruments conducting active missions. All of these are part of NASA's program of exploration of Earth and space with plans to send robots and humans to explore the moon, Mars and beyond. These ventures would not be possible without NASA's Deep Space Network managed by JPL. This international network of antenna complexes on several continents serves as the communication gateway between distant spacecraft and the Earth-based teams that guide them. While carrying out these exploration missions, JPL also conducts a number of space technology demonstrations in support of national security and develops technologies for uses on Earth in fields from public safety to medicine, capitalizing on NASA's investment in space technology.

JPL is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) managed by the California Institute of Technology under contract to NASA.

To learn more about JPL and read the latest news, visit jpl.nasa.gov. On the go? JPL's website is now optimized for simple browsing from your smartphone.