NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Post

Welcome to our universe, JPL interns 💫 We recently celebrated the arrival of the interns who will be helping us #DareMightyThings this summer. At our kickoff event, interns got to know more about one another and about JPL over networking, games, and refreshments. #LifeAtJPL #NASAJPL #JPLInterns

What would happen if we suddenly discovered a large asteroid or comet headed for Earth? We have a plan. An impact is highly unlikely for the foreseeable future, but as a matter of practice, NASA leads a hypothetical asteroid impact “tabletop” exercise every two years to examine how well we are prepared to respond to such a scenario. Experts and decision-makers from several federal and international agencies participated in the most recent exercise, discussing how they would handle the many uncertainties of a hypothetical, yet realistic, impact event: https://lnkd.in/g6ATHvXu

What's up, July stargazers! There are several celestial moments to look forward to this month, so grab some binoculars and see if you can spot the elusive planet Uranus and the star clusters of Scorpius, M6 and M7. ✨ More skywatching tips: go.nasa.gov/37ePy0B

What a resume! By repeatedly observing the sky from its location in low-Earth orbit, NEOWISE has: 🔭 Made 1.45 million infrared measurements of more than 44,000 solar system objects ☄️ Observed and measured more than 3,000 near-Earth objects (NEOs) – 215 of which the space telescope discovered 💫 Discovered 25 comets After 14 years in orbit, the #NEOWISE mission is ending – and in coming months, the space telescope will burn up in Earth's atmosphere in a planned reentry. But before it was a near-Earth object (NEO) hunter, it scanned the entire infrared sky as WISE: https://lnkd.in/giU4tggK

We asked JPLers to share their pride, and they delivered! From supporting NASA in the LA Pride Parade to wearing colorful hairstyles and attire, colleagues expressed their commitment to equality, inclusion, and solidarity throughout #PrideMonth. #LifeAtJPL #NASAJPL #DareMightyThings

Thanks to some expert sleuthing by the NASA's Perseverance team, the rover is fully back to its search for potential signs of ancient microbial life on Mars! Earlier this year, a moveable lens cover on Perseverance's SHERLOC instrument became stuck in a position that prevented SHERLOC from collecting data. The rover's team tried everything from rocking the mechanism back and forth to loosen debris to even engaging the rover's percussive drill to try jostling it loose: https://lnkd.in/gYgZszHW

This week, our B.E.S.T. (Black Excellence Strategic Team) employee resource group and Office of Inclusion hosted the Lab’s third annual #Juneteenth celebration. The event opened with remarks from leadership, a rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and a poetry reading. A visiting group performed capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian form of martial arts that combines dance, acrobatics, and music, and invited JPLers to join in. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when the last enslaved people in the U.S. learned they had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier. The holiday celebrates Black Americans' contributions to the nation and is an opportunity to reflect on how we can build a world that empowers everyone to reach for the stars. #LifeAtJPL #NASAJPL #DareMightyThings

Live event: Did you know you have NASA tech in your home? "Spinoffs" are NASA technologies that benefit life on Earth in the form of commercial products. Join us for a live talk as we explore how space-based technology becomes a spinoff. If you have any questions for our experts, drop them in the comments.

So, Europa Clipper is headed toward launch – but how exactly will it determine whether life could survive on Jupiter's icy moon Europa? The team breaks down the spacecraft's science instruments and goals ⬇️