From a small group of rocket pioneers in 1936 to missions exploring Earth, Mars, the outer planets, and beyond, JPL has helped shape humanity’s understanding of the universe.
90 years later, and we’re still exploring.
It all started with a few Caltech students testing a rocket motor in the Arroyo Seco on Halloween 1936. By January 1958, the same lab had built Explorer 1, America's first satellite.
Fun detail: that 1936 group tested rockets in the Arroyo Seco, a dry canyon near Pasadena, because their experiments were too risky for campus. That canyon is where JPL grew from.
