In 1997 Caltech and the Jet Propulsion Lab directed the Mars Pathfinder, the first successful rover to traverse another planet.
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Caltech will compete to operate and manage the Jet Propulsion Lab, a federally funded research and development center it launched in 1936. On Friday, NASA announced plans to conduct a competition and awards process for JPL “to ensure continued accountability and strong value for U.S. taxpayers.”
Caltech has managed the lab for NASA since 1958, when the space agency was established, through a contractual relationship. Its current 10-year contract, with a potential maximum value of $30 billion, will end Sept. 30, 2028.
“As America’s space economy evolves, we have a responsibility to the American people and the scientific community to evaluate how we can execute faster, operate more efficiently, and continue to deliver world-class science and engineering at the highest level,” NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said in a press release about the plans. “The decision to compete this contract reflects NASA’s commitment to strong stewardship of taxpayer resources and positions Jet Propulsion Laboratory to continue driving world-changing scientific discovery and technological innovation for decades to come.”
