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Caltech

All articles tagged with #caltech

space2 hours ago•4 min saved

NASA opens JPL to new management, inviting bids to replace Caltech after 70 years

NASA announced it will solicit bids to operate the Jet Propulsion Laboratory when Caltech's 68-year management contract ends in 2028, marking the biggest leadership shakeup in JPL's history. As a federally funded R&D center, JPL has faced cost pressures amid a booming private space sector, and NASA seeks a cheaper operator—potential bidders include Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and universities such as Caltech. The change could preserve JPL's robotic-mission legacy while shifting efficiency and work culture, though funding and missions remain controlled by Congress and NASA HQ.

via Jalopnik|

#bids #caltech #jpl

space2 days ago•11 min saved

JPL Contract Up for Bid as NASA Signals a Reboot of Its Space Lab

NASA will competitively bid the management and operation of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the Caltech-run lab that has operated under a long-standing arrangement since 1958. The move, tied to NASA’s broader realignment and focus on faster, more cost-conscious delivery, could test whether JPL’s distinctive culture and staff can survive a change in operator—or require NASA to remake parts of its own space enterprise. The contract, currently valued at up to $30 billion and slated to run through Sept. 30, 2028, marks more than routine procurement by examining how much continuity of culture, incentives, and mission focus would endure under new leadership.

via Space Daily|

#caltech #ffrdc #jpl

space3 days ago•3 min saved

NASA opens JPL management to bids, forcing Caltech to compete for control

NASA will open the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s management to competitive bidding for the first time, meaning Caltech must compete to keep control of the lab it has run since 1958; the 10-year contract is worth up to $30 billion and runs through September 30, 2028, as part of a broader NASA reorganization aimed at boosting efficiency and mission outcomes.

via Los Angeles Times|

#caltech #contract-bidding #jpl

space3 days ago•74 min saved

NASA to open bid to operate JPL, ending Caltech’s near-century leadership

NASA announced it will competitively bid for operating the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a Caltech-run lab for NASA since its early days, as part of a broader agency restructuring to increase center specialization and merge mission directorates. The plan could change how JPL is run and governed, though NASA says there will be no layoffs or program cancellations. A new operator could alter day-to-day management while preserving the lab’s scientific capabilities as the agency pursues ambitious Artemis-era goals.

via Space|

#artemis #caltech #jpl

space4 days ago•4 min saved

NASA to Open JPL Management Contract to Competitive Bids

NASA announced it will compete the contract to manage the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the federally funded R&D center run by Caltech since the 1930s. The current contract runs Oct. 1, 2018–Sept. 30, 2028 with a potential value up to $30 billion; the competition will evaluate whether alternative management approaches can boost mission performance, innovation, and cost efficiency while preserving continuity, the facility’s Southern California location, and ongoing missions. The procurement process has begun to ensure a fair, open competition in line with federal practices.

via NASA Watch|

#caltech #ffrdc #jpl

space4 days ago•2 min saved

NASA to Put JPL Management Up for Bid, Keeping California Lab in Play

NASA announced it will competitively award the management and operations contract for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), currently operated by Caltech since 1958, with the current contract through Sept. 30, 2028 and a maximum value of up to $30 billion. The procurement aims to explore alternative management approaches to boost mission performance, innovation, and cost efficiency while preserving JPL’s location and ensuring mission continuity.

via NASA (.gov)|

#caltech #contract-competition #ffrdc

science1 month ago•5 min saved

FBI widens probe into deaths and disappearances of scientists tied to sensitive research

The FBI has launched a broad inquiry into the deaths or disappearances of at least 10 scientists tied to highly sensitive research, including four in the Los Angeles area connected to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech. The cases, dating from 2023 to 2026, involve Michael Hicks (died 2023) and Frank Maiwald (died 2024), Monica Jacinto Reza (disappeared 2025), and Caltech astrophysicist Carl Grillmair (shot and killed in 2026), with Freddy Snyder charged in Grillmair’s murder. NASA says there’s no current national-security threat, and officials caution there’s no proven connection among the cases, though Congress is seeking more information from involved agencies.

via Los Angeles Times|

#caltech #fbi-investigation #jpl

science2 months ago•7 min saved

Teen Scientist Uncovers 1.5 Million Hidden Cosmic Objects in NEOWISE Data

A Pasadena high-school student, Matteo Paz, and Caltech researchers used an AI model called VARnet to scan NASA’s NEOWISE infrared sky data, processing about 200 billion detections to flag roughly 1.5 million variable-object candidates. The full catalog, to be published in 2025, could reveal new quasars, variable stars, and transient events, though many candidates will require follow-up observations to confirm their nature. The approach combines wavelet decomposition, irregular time-series analysis, and a convolutional neural network for classification, with potential applications beyond astronomy.

via Indian Defence Review|

#astronomy #caltech #machine-learning

space2 months ago•3 min saved

Earthbound View Reveals Voyager 1's Cosmos-Scale Speed in a Real-World Simulation

A YouTube simulation translates Voyager 1's ~38,000 mph velocity into an Earthbound scenario, highlighting its status as the farthest human-made object and its long-running mission, with contact likely fading after around 2036 as it drifts beyond Earth’s Deep Space Network.

via supercarblondie.com|

#caltech #nasa #simulation

crime3 months ago•2 min saved

Caltech astronomer killed in Llano porch shooting; suspect charged

A 29-year-old man, Freddy Snyder, was charged with murder after allegedly shooting 67-year-old Caltech scientist Carl Grillmair on the porch of his Llano home, following a carjacking incident; bail is set at $2 million. Grillmair, a Caltech researcher focused on dark matter and exoplanets, was remembered by colleagues for his teaching and ingenuity.

via CBS News|

#caltech #carjacking #crime

crime3 months ago•2 min saved

Llano Man Charged in Caltech Astrophysicist’s Death After Carjacking Relative

A 29-year-old Llano man, Freddy Snyder, is charged with murder after allegedly carjacking his own relative and burglarizing a home, which led to the fatal shooting of Caltech astrophysicist Carl Grillmair on his Llano porch; authorities say the suspect and the victim did not know each other, and bail is set at $2 million.

via ABC7 Los Angeles|

#burglary #caltech #carjacking

science3 months ago•3 min saved

Caltech Astronomer Killed at Home; Suspect Charged in Murder

A renowned Caltech astronomer, Carl Grillmair, who studied distant planets and the Milky Way, was shot and killed at his Llano home outside Los Angeles. Authorities arrested 29-year-old Freddy Snyder, charging him with Grillmair’s murder as well as related carjacking and burglary in other cases. Grillmair’s decades-long career included leadership at Caltech’s Infrared Processing and Analysis Center and NASA collaborations, earning a NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal in 2011 for a discovery related to water on a distant planet.

via The Guardian|

#astronomy #caltech #exoplanets

news3 months ago•33 min saved

Astrophysicist who helped confirm water on a distant planet shot dead on California porch

A renowned astrophysicist, Carl Grillmair, 67, who contributed to the discovery of water on a distant planet, was shot dead on the front porch of his Llano, California home. Detectives later arrested 29-year-old Freddy Snyder on murder, carjacking and burglary charges with a $2 million bail; motive remains undisclosed and the investigation is ongoing. Grillmair, tied to Caltech and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, was celebrated for his work in astronomy and for building an observatory at his Antelope Valley residence.

via Daily Mail|

#astronomy #california #caltech

crime3 months ago•33 min saved

Renowned Caltech Astrophysicist Fatally Shot on LA Porch; Suspect Charged in Carjacking

Renowned Caltech astrophysicist Carl Grillmair, 67, was found shot on the porch of his Los Angeles home. Freddy Snyder, 29, has been charged with Grillmair’s murder and a related burglary, as well as a Dec. 28 carjacking. Grillmair was known for work on distant planets and Milky Way structure; Caltech confirms his affiliation with the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center. The LASD says the investigation is ongoing.

via Yahoo News New Zealand|

#caltech #carl-grillmair #crime

crime3 months ago•5 min saved

Caltech Astronomer Fatally Shot on Llano Porch; Suspect Charged

Prominent Caltech astrophysicist Carl Grillmair was fatally shot on his Llano porch in the Antelope Valley; a 29-year-old suspect, Freddy Snyder, was arrested and charged with murder, carjacking and burglary related to the case. Grillmair, a longtime IPAC researcher involved with the Hubble and Spitzer missions, was renowned for his work on the Milky Way’s structure and for identifying water on an exoplanet.

via Los Angeles Times|

#antelope-valley #caltech #carl-grillmair