Detailed Summary
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) was founded on October 31, 1936, when a group of Caltech students and engineers, led by Dr. Theodore von Kármán, conducted rocket experiments in the Arroyo Seco, a dry canyon in Pasadena, California. These early tests laid the groundwork for JPL's later achievements in space exploration. The laboratory became an essential part of NASA in 1958 and played a significant role in the development of the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1. Today, JPL continues to be a leader in space exploration, managing numerous robotic missions to planets, asteroids, and comets.