Awarding agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Who got paid, how much, for what, and whether it is defensible. Citizen opinion on the record, not a mandate.
Status and record
DEEP SPACE NETWORK (DSN) THE CONTRACT IS THE SPONSORING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA) AND THE CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (CONTRACTOR), A PRIVATE NONPROFIT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION, WHICH ESTABLISHES THE RELATIONSHIP FOR THE OPERATION OF THE FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER (FFRDC) KNOWN AS THE JET PROPULSION LABORATORY. THE CONTRACTOR, JPL, IS REQUIRED TO PERFORM WORK THAT IS DESIGNATED IN TASK ORDERS ISSUED BY THE NASA MANAGEMENT OFFICE (NMO) CONTRACTING OFFICERS. NASA - SPONSORED WORK: JPL'S PRIMARY MISSION IS TO SUPPORT THE NASA SCIENCE MISSION DIRECTORATE (SMD) IN CARRYING OUT THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES IDENTIFIED IN THE SMD SCIENCE PLAN. THE FOUR BROAD SCIENTIFIC AREAS ARE: EARTH SCIENCE, PLANETARY SCIENCE, HELIOPHYSICS, AND ASTROPHYSICS. IN PERFORMANCE OF THIS CONTRACT, JPL SHALL: 1) SUPPLY A BROAD BASE OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES RELEVANT TO NASA PROGRAM AND PROJECT RESPONSIBILITIES AND ASSIGNMENTS. 2) FOSTER ITS UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP WITH A TOP-TIER UNIVERSITY TO FACILITATE THE INVOLVEMENT OF SCIENTISTS, ENGINEERS, AND STUDENTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY AND RESEARCH COMMUNITIES IN NASA MISSION AND IN SUPPORTING OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. 3) SUPPORT NASA IN ENABLING PROGRAM AND INSTITUTIONAL CAPABILITIES. 4) DEVELOP SPACECRAFT AND INSTRUMENTS THAT ARE SENT TO VARIOUS DESTINATIONS WITH OUR SOLAR SYSTEM, INCLUDING EARTH ORBIT, PLANETS, PLANETARY SATELLITES, ASTEROIDS, AND COMETS. THESE MISSIONS MAY BE ORBITERS, LANDERS, OR ROVERS, AND TYPICALLY INCLUDE CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES REQUIRED TO MEET SCIENTIFIC REQUIREMENTS. 5) PERFORM PROJECT TASKS INVOLVING: (I) AUTONOMOUS DEEP-SPACE, INNER-SPACE AND EARTH-ORBITING SPACECRAFT OR MAJOR SUBSYSTEMS, (II) EXPERIMENTS, INSTRUMENTS, OR OTHER DEVICES WHICH MAY BE CARRIED AS PAYLOAD ON SPACECRAFTS IN MISSIONS MANAGED BY OTHERS, AND/OR (III) GROUND-BASED SYSTEMS. 6) BEYOND ITS PRIMARY MISSION, JPL MAY PERFORM WORK FOR OTHER NASA MISSION DIRECTORATES OR OFFICES. 7) JPL IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OPERATION, RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY INSERTION, AND MANAGEMENT OF NASA S DEEP SPACE NETWORK TO PROVIDE TELECOMMUNICATION AND OPERATION SERVICES, INCLUDING DATA ACQUISITION AND DATA DELIVERY REQUIRED TO MEET ESTABLISHED AGENCY OBJECTIVES. 8) JPL IS ALSO REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN AND CONDUCT AN EDUCATION PROGRAM IN CLOSE COORDINATION WITH THE NASA HEADQUARTERS EDUCATION OFFICE, THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY AT LARGE, AND IN SUPPORT TO NASA STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES TO IMPROVE STUDENT RETENTION IN THE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) DISCIPLINES. WORK FOR NON-NASA SPONSORS: JPL MAY PERFORM WORK FOR NON-NASA SPONSORS. THIS WORK WILL BE DESIGNATED IN TASK ORDERS ISSUED BY NMO CONTRACTING OFFICERS BASED ON TASK PLANS INITIATED BY THE CONTRACTOR.
$1.5B · DELIVERY ORDER · National Aeronautics and Space Administration · CA
FEDERAL SPENDING · CITIZEN OPINION
Was this federal payment to CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY worth it?
$1.5B · National Aeronautics and Space Administration to CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
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What this award is
AI analysis
This is a 10-year, $1.5 billion contract between NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and Caltech (the California Institute of Technology) to run the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a major research facility that builds and operates spacecraft, scientific instruments, and the Deep Space Network, which is the global system of antennas NASA uses to communicate with distant space probes.
DEEPER CONTEXTAnalysis · Risks · Arguments
WHY THIS MONEY IS BEING SPENT
WHY WAS THIS FUNDED?
JPL is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), a special type of government-sponsored lab that allows a federal agency to partner with a private institution for long-term scientific and technical work. NASA is authorized by Congress to fund this kind of arrangement to carry out the national space program.
WHAT PUBLIC PROBLEM IS IT TRYING TO SOLVE?
The United States needs specialized scientific and engineering expertise to explore space, monitor Earth from orbit, and advance our understanding of the solar system. Without a dedicated, well-funded research center like JPL, NASA would lack the technical capacity to design, launch, and communicate with spacecraft on complex deep-space missions.
WHO BENEFITS?
Scientists, engineers, and students at Caltech and partner universities benefit from research opportunities and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education programs. The broader public benefits from scientific discoveries in Earth science, planetary science, and astrophysics, as well as technologies developed through the program.
Plain-language reading generated from the USASpending award record. Not legal or financial advice.
RISKS AND TRADEOFFS
WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
Because this is a long-term contract with a single nonprofit institution, there is limited competition, which can reduce pressure to control costs and improve efficiency. Oversight of a broad, multi-mission contract of this size requires strong accountability measures to ensure taxpayer money is used as intended.
WHAT HAPPENS IF FUNDING IS REMOVED?
Cancelling this contract would effectively shut down JPL and the Deep Space Network, cutting off communication with active NASA spacecraft already in deep space, including probes exploring distant planets and beyond the solar system. The U.S. would lose decades of built-up scientific and engineering expertise with no immediate replacement available.
FOR AND AGAINST
ARGUMENTS FOR
- •JPL and the Deep Space Network support dozens of active NASA missions and represent critical national infrastructure for space exploration that cannot be easily replicated elsewhere.
- •The contract advances four major scientific fields, including Earth science, which has direct benefits for understanding climate, natural disasters, and resource management.
- •Partnerships with Caltech help recruit top scientists and engineers and support STEM education, contributing to a skilled American workforce in high-technology fields.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST
- •At $1.5 billion over 10 years, this is a very large sole-source contract with one institution, limiting competition and potentially reducing cost efficiency.
- •The broad scope of work, covering everything from spacecraft design to education programs, makes it difficult for Congress and the public to evaluate how funds are specifically spent.
- •Some critics argue that certain tasks performed by JPL could be contracted out to private aerospace companies, potentially at lower cost to taxpayers.
SPENDING TIMELINE
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