Exploring the Earth, Solar System and Beyond
Larry James, Deputy Director
March 2017
The Quest
From Caltech students testing rockets
to exploring the planets in our lifetime
Caltech students (1936)
Mars Exploration Rovers
(2004 – present)
Missiles (1940s)
Spitzer Space Telescope
(2004 – present)
Explorer 1 (1958)
Earth Science
(1978 – now)
JPL’s Tour of the Solar System
Dawn at Ceres
Ceres
Discovery of Interesting Features
Occator Crater
Yalode Crater
Ahuna Crater
Ceres Mountain
Ahuna Mons
7
Juno
Orbit Insertion July 4, 2016
Juno Mission Trailer
9
Galileo’s Sketch of Jupiter’s Moons
January 13, 1610
10
Juno’s View of Jupiter’s Moons
July 5, 2016
11
Saturn’s Rings
12
A New Moon is Discovered
Final Orbits Science: Unique Observations
• First ever direct measurements of ring
particle composition
• Highest resolution main ring
observations
– Radio occultation, imaging
– First active Radar
• Highest resolution Saturn polar
observations and aurora
• Direct sampling of Saturn’s atmosphere
– Final five periapses
Ride Along with Cassini
Final E Ticket through the Rings
Saturn’s Moons
17
Curiosity’s Selfie
18
Curiosity Exploration of Yellowknife Bay in Gale Crater
“Green-grey Mars”
Clay material: formed
in neutral pH water
Detection of key
elements needed for life
Mars was habitable!!!
19
Strata at Base of Mt Sharp
Indicates the flow of water before the mountain formed
20
Curiosity Near Large Sand Dunes
21
Seasonal Flows in Mars’ Valles Marineris
Curiosity rover is exploring Gale Crater to understand the habitability of Mars, its
potential for preserving organic materials, and the major environmental transitions in
its early history
Mars Science Laboratory: Mission to Mount Sharp
jpl.nasa.gov
Sulfate Unit (8 km)
Clay Unit (6 km)
Mount Sharp
Hematite Ridge (5 km)
Gale Crater
Murray Formation
(arrived Sept. 2014)
Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2
24
OCO-2 Follows Carbon Dioxide Through the
Atmosphere
JPL Science and Exploration Thrusts
1
Journey to Mars
2
Formation of and life in
our solar system
3
4
Life outside our solar
system and how the
Universe formed
Our home planet
26
InSight
2018 Launch
Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport
27
Mars 2020 Payload
28
Europa: Gem of the Jupiter System
Europa Clipper & Lander
2022 & 2024 Launches
Big Bang!
Psyche: Journey to a Metal World
2023 Launch
GRACE Follow-On
Launch: August 2017
Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment
Surface Water Ocean Topography
2020 Launch
NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar
2020 Launch
34
Dare Mighty Things