NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Careers

Build-it-yourself rovers!

High school students, maker clubs, and garage tinkerers worldwide have built legions of powerful and customizable mini rovers thanks to the JPL-founded Open Source Rover project.

The project makes building scaled-down versions of the rovers exploring the surface of Mars more accessible and affordable to budding enthusiasts in mechanical engineering, software development, electronics, and robotics. It’s also — you guessed it — open source, a term that refers to computer software that is released publicly for anyone to use for collaboration and experimentation.

Tap the link in our bio to learn the five most interesting things about the project and the growing fleet of robots that have come online since it got started in 2017.



📸 Image Descriptions:
1. The graphic reads "Life at JPL; Explore the JPL-founded Open Source Rover Program" and the footer says "Read more on jpl.jobs/blog." The background image is of a JPL-built Open Source Rover example rolling over a pile of rocks.

2. JPL engineer Lan Dang snaps a selfie with a six-wheeled rover named Raf while on a tour of the Lab.

3. Raf sits in front of models of the Perseverance rover, its older cousin, and the Ingenuity Helicopter at JPL.

Greater than the sum of our parts 🧩

Our Cultural Festival recently brought together hundreds of JPLers for food, music, and activities celebrating the Lab’s heritage and diversity. Everyone was invited to contribute to a community art installation that visualizes our unique legacies and shared future.



📸 Image Descriptions:
1. Employees dressed in traditional cultural attire line up for a fashion show.
2. JPLers socialize around the community art installation – a structure of colorful, flat wood tiles that feature hand-written text and drawings.
3. JPLers practice Chinese calligraphy at one of the employee resource group activity booths.
4. Employees gather around employee resource group booths strung with colorful flags.
5. A colleague enjoying a frozen treat is interviewed by two others holding microphones. A cameraperson captures the conversation for a remote employee audience.
6. Members of the JPL Vets group pose for a photo with the Lab’s Director.
7. Colleagues volley a large Mars inflatable.
8. Beyond a patch of lavender, colleagues sit or stand in shaded spots on a lawn. In the center of the photo is a canopy decorated with multi-colored ribbon.
9. Two employees stand over tables, using markers to draw on flat wood tiles that will be added to the community art installation, visible in the background.
10. A person kneels next to the community art installation, drawing directly onto the structure.

Meet JPL software architect Rishi Verma (pictured left), who volunteered as a Fulbright Specialist in Suriname to help develop a university's curriculum in AI, data science, and robotics.

Over three weeks, Rishi worked closely with Polytechnic College Suriname students, teachers, and professionals eager to build a vibrant future for the next generation of STEM graduates.

Learn more about Rishi’s contributions to what will soon be a cutting-edge educational program in one of the smallest countries in South America: https://go.nasa.gov/3TE7w4q

That's what we're talking about! We're still so hyped and proud of this mighty little helicopter. Join NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory this morning at 10am PT to discuss what Ingenuity's success could mean for the future of aerial exploration.

Ingenuity may not be flying anymore, but we're not done learning from the .

Tune in tomorrow at 10am PT as we discuss the helicopter's historic flights and what it could mean for extraterrestrial aerial exploration of the future.
https://youtube.com/live/lkZ6jkqPMEc

This week, we've been celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) landing, Spirit and Opportunity. JPLers participated in panels and reunions, recalling lessons learned, and celebrated the outstanding achievement of these two missions and how they changed our understanding of the Red Planet.

Meet Bradley Gay, NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow, whose career has embraced both of his passions: art and Earth science. Learn more about how he’s blended his two passions into a career. https://bit.ly/3UcdGdT

We would like to say 'thank you' to both current and former JPLers who contributed to inspiring us through Spirit and Opportunity!

A trailblazing duo ✨

This month marks the 20th anniversary of Spirit and Opportunity's landing on Mars.

Designed to last just 90 days, the twin rovers exceeded expectations and changed the way we explore the Red Planet. go.nasa.gov/3U61Sdq

Jupiter sure is beautiful 🤩

If you’d like to get the latest images, news, and mission updates about this planet or the other beauties in our solar system delivered straight to your inbox – sign up for our newsletter! https://bit.ly/JPLNewsletter

We hope you are enjoying AIAA - The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics SciTech! Here are a few highlights from the JPL booth, panels, and technology demonstrations during this week.

Are you at Sci-Tech this week? Join us today at 12:00 p.m. ET at the HUB for an EELS demonstration.

Learn more about this innovative snake-like robot designed to explore previously inaccessible terrain: https://bit.ly/3RThhuT