The 2003 JPL Open House

On May 17, 2003 I visited the annual open house at NASA's JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) in Pasadena, CA. Click here for a map of the buildings. The JPL open house is a must-attend for any space buffs. The photos here are just a small sampling of what is on display. The Mars Exploration Rovers will be making a lot of news over the next year so I have included many photos dealing with that mission. The commentary supplied below is based on what I remember, so I cannot guarantee correctness.


I doubt anyone has trouble remembering where they parked!


There are deer roaming the grounds.


Status displays.


Space Flight Operations Facility.


The brand-new-paint-not-quite-dry MER (Mars Exploration Rover) cruise mission support area.


Pyrotechnics used on the MERs. Most are around 10cm (3-4") long.


Mockup MER cruise stage and backshell.


Life sized MER.


The Mars Yard has now moved into Building 317, the In-Situ Instrument Laboratory.


Left: MER airbags inflated. Middle: lander, airbags deflated. Right: rover. Sorry for the window reflections.


Spacesuit engineer Philip West showing diapers worn by astronauts.


Aerogel, also known as "Solid Smoke".


The Galileo model, complete with stuck antenna.


The full size Voyager model, inside Von Karman auditorium.


An RTG (Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator), our most efficient, safe, and reliable way to generate power in deep space.


Building 202, the Regional Planetary Image Facility.


A fisheye view of Building 170, the Spacecraft Fabrication Facility. This is where the initial machining for spacecraft is done.


Vending machines stocked with tools!


Examples of the work done in the fabrication facility.


Building 179, the Spacecraft Assembly Facility. This is High Bay 2, recently vacated by the Mars Exploration Rovers.

Unless otherwise noted, all text and images are © 2003 Manfred Bruenjes - All Rights Reserved. Image inlining and framing are strictly prohibited. Email for permission before using an image or text.