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
PSYCHE: JOURNEY TO A METAL WORLD 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.
$819.0M · DELIVERY ORDER · National Aeronautics and Space Administration · CA
FEDERAL SPENDING · CITIZEN OPINION
Was this federal payment to CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY worth it?
$819.0M · National Aeronautics and Space Administration to CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
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What this award is
AI analysis
This is a contract between NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), which operates the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. The $819 million funds JPL to build and operate spacecraft, conduct space science missions including the Psyche mission to a metal-rich asteroid, and manage NASA's Deep Space Network of communication stations.
DEEPER CONTEXTAnalysis · Risks · Arguments
WHY THIS MONEY IS BEING SPENT
WHY WAS THIS FUNDED?
This contract is the formal legal agreement that allows NASA to use JPL as a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), a special type of government-sponsored lab operated by a private institution. Congress authorizes NASA to pursue space exploration and scientific research, which provides the legal basis for this award.
WHAT PUBLIC PROBLEM IS IT TRYING TO SOLVE?
The United States government has a long-standing interest in advancing space science, exploring the solar system, and maintaining the technology needed to communicate with spacecraft billions of miles away. This contract funds that work, including studying a rare metal-rich asteroid that could teach scientists about how planets form.
WHO BENEFITS?
Scientists, engineers, and students at Caltech and JPL directly benefit through employment and research opportunities. The broader public benefits from scientific discoveries, advances in technology that often find uses outside of space exploration, and educational programs in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields.
Plain-language reading generated from the USASpending award record. Not legal or financial advice.
RISKS AND TRADEOFFS
WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
Because JPL operates as a sole-source FFRDC, there is limited competition for this work, which can reduce pressure to control costs. Overseeing a 10-year, $819 million contract that spans many complex projects also creates challenges in tracking whether taxpayer money is being spent efficiently.
WHAT HAPPENS IF FUNDING IS REMOVED?
Cancelling this contract would shut down or severely disrupt JPL operations, including the Psyche mission and the Deep Space Network that supports all U.S. deep space missions. Without the Deep Space Network, NASA would lose the ability to communicate with and track spacecraft currently operating throughout the solar system.
FOR AND AGAINST
ARGUMENTS FOR
- •The Psyche mission and other JPL projects advance scientific knowledge about the origins of our solar system, which cannot be gained any other way.
- •JPL's Deep Space Network is a critical piece of national infrastructure that keeps all existing NASA deep space missions operational.
- •Investing in space science supports high-skill American jobs and STEM education, which strengthens the country's long-term technological competitiveness.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST
- •At $819 million over 10 years, this is a significant public expense, and critics may argue those funds could address more immediate domestic needs.
- •The sole-source nature of the FFRDC arrangement means there is no competitive bidding, which may result in higher costs than an open marketplace would produce.
- •Long-term, multi-year contracts of this size and complexity carry a risk of cost overruns, as has historically occurred in large NASA programs.
SPENDING TIMELINE
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