Tag Archives: Pasadena

Space

Ticket Alert for JPL Open House 2016!

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JPL Ticket
©JPL

UPDATE: 4/25/16 10AM – Many people are having trouble reserving tickets from the JPL Special Events page. Here’s a direct link to reserve tickets through JPL’s Eventbrite page for the event. People seem to be having better luck going there, directly. Good luck!

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Attention fellow space enthusiasts! The 2016 JPL Open House is still a month and a half away, but if you want to attend this year’s event then you need to take action this Monday, April 25th! This year, in an effort to calm the calamity in and around JPL on the day of the Open House, they are requiring attendees to have a ticket. If you don’t have a ticket you won’t get in.

With this change in mind JPL has rebranded the event – now calling it “A Ticket to Explore JPL.” Note how they’ve punched-up the fact that you need a ticket. Very smart considering this massive change to the Open House’s structure. I guess that’s why they’re rocket scientists.

Tickets will become available this coming Monday, April 25th, at 9am Pacific Time on JPL’s Special Events page. Tickets are free, but limited – so my bet is they are going to go fast. I plan to be sitting at my computer with my finger hovering over the “Reserve Tickets” button at 8:59:59.

Oh, and there are a few catches. Each requestor is limited to five tickets AND you will be required to enter the name of each person for whom you are requesting a ticket. You will be required to choose both an attendance date (either June 4th or 5th) and an entry time. Each requestor is required to provide an email address. So, I’m guessing that the true limit will be five per email address and they’ll just hold you to your honor that you’re not requesting with multiple email addresses.

To help hold you to your honor, each person 18 or older will be required to show photo ID at the gate along with their ticket for admission. It seems like they are trying really hard to make this as fair as possible for everyone.

Well, that pretty much sums it up. Get your tickets early and prepare to enjoy another exciting – and hopefully less stressful – JPL Open House!

Family, Los Angeles, Space

JPL Open House is Back!

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OK, I admit it, I’m totally geeking out…

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, CA, is bringing back their Open House this fall!  If you are a fan of the JPL Open House then you might remember that it was cancelled last year due to the sequester.  Fortunately, that’s behind us and this important and exciting public event will be taking place on Saturday, October 11, and Sunday, October 12, 2014, from 9am to 4pm.

Not familiar with it?  Well, let me tell you, if you live anywhere near Pasadena and are even a little bit of a space geek then you will absolutely love the open house (and if you are not a space geek when you arrive, there’s a good chance that you will be one by the time you leave!).  It’s a cross between a science fair and Disneyland.  If that’s not enough to entice you, then it might help to know that admission and parking are FREE.

There is almost too much to do in a single day.  So, you might want to consider coming on Saturday so that you can come back on Sunday to catch the things you miss the first time around.  The past few times they’ve had working models of various rovers cruising over rocks right as you enter the property (the place is huge and hilly, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes).  In the building immediately to the left, there was a scale model of the Curiosity rover and a welcome video showcasing the breadth of dynamic work they do at JPL.  To the right there was an outdoor display about the work of the Spirit and Opportunity rovers.  I remember spending over an hour exploring these areas alone.

That, however, is just the tip of the iceberg!  You’ll want to be sure to visit the Space Flight Operations Facility, which serves as mission control for a variety of current missions, and the Spacecraft Assembly Facility, which features the clean room where everything from the Voyager spacecraft to the Curiosity rover were built.  There is too much to list, but highlights of the event include robotics demonstrations, current and upcoming mission showcases, and hands-on activities for the kids.

Here are a few tips.  Arrive early to ensure parking and shorter lines.  Bring drinking water, sunscreen, and some cash for lunch at one of the many food booths.  Wear comfortable walking shoes (as mentioned above).  Finally, not to lay it on too think, but be sure to bring your scientific curiosity and a sense of adventure!

 

Worthy of note:  If you’re not available the weekend of October 11th and 12th, then you might want to take advantage of one of JPL’s free public tours.