JPL Field Trip
by Krish Mohanty
“Dare Mighty Things”
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, one of our nation’s most important development sites for NASA’s rovers and satellites, sits nestled in the foothills of the city of Pasadena. The Class of 2029 had a wonderful opportunity to visit JPL during Spring semester 2025, as we were the first group of eighth graders from The Science Academy to ever go. Although there were many interesting aspects to the trip, for me, the most meaningful and memorable one was the viewing of what is called the “clean room.” Our guide, Greg, described how the JPL clean room, which is a highly controlled, filtered environment, maintains less than 10,000 particles larger than half a micron per cubic meter, in relation to the 2-3 million particles per cubic meter that downtown Los Angeles typically has. I found it amazing how the clean room was probably one of the most pristine places on Earth, even cleaner than fresh mountain air, as Greg described. This cleanliness is a result of the strict safety policies needed to build satellites or send rovers into space. Even just a slight disruption because of a small amount of particles or bacteria could risk the entire mission. Find out more here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/videos/building-a-clean-space-machine/
The visit started with a video presentation entitled “Journey to the Planets and Beyond,” which explained the rover missions, how they work, why they fail, and when they’ve been able to exceed expectations.
This video set the scene of all the amazing wonders we learned later on. It described all eight planets of the solar system (sorry, Pluto!), and how each one was part of our search for the most crucial sign of life: liquid water. We learned fascinating facts about:
Venus, which used to be full of water, but eventually succumbed to the heat of the sun trapped by greenhouse gases, scorching the land.
Blazing hot Mercury, where there could be a chance of finding ice in a crater, untouched by the sun.
Earth, our home, the only planet we know of that contains life.
Mars, the most promising for having the conditions for life, where rovers have discovered frozen ice just centimeters beneath the surface.
Jupiter’s moons like Europa, which has a liquid ocean beneath its surface.
Details about the composition of some of Saturn’s 274 moons.
Each planet has its own unique characteristics. Overall, the video was very interesting, highlighting the vastness of our universe and how there is a very, very high possibility that we are not alone.
JPL was created on October 31, 1936. At the time, Caltech professor Theodore von Karman oversaw revolutionary work in rocket propulsion. After a few unsuccessful tests and failed experiments, several grad students led by Frank Malina moved their work off campus to a dry canyon wash known as Arroyo Seco. From there, they continued their research until 1943, when the United States Army requested an analysis from von Karman on German rockets. This was the first time the Caltech team was referred to as the “Jet Propulsion Laboratory.”
From 1945 to 1958, JPL remained under the control of the Army, creating America’s first guided ballistic missile, first satellite, and many more impressive achievements. On December 3, 1958, JPL was transferred from Army jurisdiction to the new civilian space agency known as NASA. From that point on, JPL has achieved significant accomplishments as part of NASA, from Ranger 7, the first successful U.S. mission to the Moon, to the first planetary rover on Mars. Today, JPL continues to push the boundaries of space exploration and making significant discoveries.
Since JPL is so focused on its incredible work, it is only open to the general public on a limited basis for groups of 1-10 visitors. If you want to attend a Visitor Day, the next date will be announced on Monday, September 8th, at 9:00 am Pacific Time. You can reserve a tour at this link: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/tours/
As our 26th president Theodore Roosevelt said in his speech “The Strenuous Life” on April 10, 1899, “Dare mighty things!” This has become the motto of those who work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to spur them to great achievements for our country and for humankind. In fact, the Mars Perseverance rover has this message encoded on one of its parachutes: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia24431-mars-decoder-ring/
JPL’s legacy continues to shape the future, and we all can’t wait to see what they do next!
