Media Release
Four decades of collaboration between NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), managed by Caltech in Pasadena and celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, and the California Science Center, a world-class hands-on science museum located in South Los Angeles, brings the science of Earth observation and solar system exploration to life for guests when the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center opens on November 13, 2026. Through artifacts, interactive experiences, and stories featuring Caltech and JPL experts, the collaboration highlights the interdisciplinary work behind planetary exploration and will inspire the next generation to pursue STEM education and careers.
Featured in the Kent Kresa Space Gallery, one of three major galleries in the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center expansion to the California Science Center, the JPL experience will deepen public understanding of our planet, our solar system, and our place in the universe. Guests will discover how NASA’s robotic space missions expand our knowledge of the Earth and moon, reveal the diversity of places beyond our solar system, and how the technologies developed at both Caltech and JPL for space exploration advance scientific discovery.
The Kent Kresa Space Gallery presents the machines we build to explore the universe, including powerful telescopes that reveal distant stars and galaxies, robots that travel to the edge of our solar system, and spacecraft designed to transport humans far from Earth and protect them in extreme environments.
Artifacts include a restored Ranger lunar probe and a curated selection of full-scale models and replicas covering 60 years of JPL robotic exploration, including the Mariner IV spacecraft, the Viking lander, the Sojourner Mars rover, the Mars Exploration rover, the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, and the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. Full-scale models of the Explorer 1 satellite and the Cassini-Huygens space probe are suspended in the gallery, while the snake-like EELS (Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor) robot offers a glimpse into the future of robotic exploration.
60 years of JPL robotic exploration A model of NASAs Perseverance Mars rover is visible in the foreground at right
Hands-on interactive exhibits invite guests to program the path of a miniature rover on Mars, build a robotic spacecraft for a planetary mission, explore the diversity of objects in our own solar system and the variety of space probes that have visited the planets, travel to other stars to learn about exoplanets and how they were discovered, practice gravity assists that probes use to slingshot their paths through the solar system, and listen to interviews with JPL experts through interactive touchscreens.
“We are very grateful for our longstanding relationship with our neighbors and colleagues at Caltech and JPL,” said Jeffrey Rudolph, President and CEO of the California Science Center. “At the Science Center, our mission is to stimulate curiosity and inspire science learning in everyone. The discoveries and advances made by Caltech JPL do just that – expanding our knowledge of the universe and evoking a sense of wonder. The artifacts, hands-on exploration, and accounts from Caltech faculty and JPL staff will allow our guests to learn about current research and the future of space exploration, inspiring future generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers to reach for the stars.”
“Few things stir the human imagination quite like the wonders of space exploration,” said Ray Jayawardhana, president of Caltech and professor of astronomy. “For 90 years, Caltech and JPL have turned that imagination into voyages of discovery, revealing new worlds we once knew only as distant points of light, and transforming our understanding of the universe and our place within it. We are delighted to partner with the California Science Center to invite visitors of all ages into that cosmic quest, sharing the ingenuity that makes these daring feats of exploration possible and sparking the curiosity that may one day inspire humanity’s next giant leap.”
“We are proud to work with the California Science Center to bring JPL’s extraordinary story of exploration to life,” said Dave Gallagher, Director of JPL and Vice President of Caltech. “The expansion brilliantly captures the Lab’s bold past, inspiring missions exploring today, and innovations that could unveil cosmic mysteries and redefine what is possible in space. We are excited for the local community and visitors around the world to experience JPL — a national treasure right in L.A.’s backyard — in a whole new way.”
The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is a 200,000-square-foot expansion of the California Science Center that nearly doubles the museum’s exhibit space with 100 artifacts, including rare and historic aerospace objects, and 100 hands-on exhibits, featuring interactive experiences focused on science, technology, and engineering. The three multi-level galleries – the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery, the Korean Air Aviation Gallery, and the Kent Kresa Space Gallery – represent the third and final phase of a three-decade master plan to develop one of the world’s leading science learning centers. At the heart of the new Air and Space Center, Space Shuttle Endeavour is displayed vertically in a launch configuration with real solid rocket boosters and the last remaining flight-qualified external tank, ET-94 – the only place in the world to see a complete space shuttle system with all authentic flight hardware. The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center opens to the public on Friday, November 13, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
Advance reservations are available now at: https://californiasciencecenter.org/visit/getreservations-tickets or by calling 213-744-2019. Guests can make up to 19 individual reservations per entry time. Parties of 20 or more individuals require a group reservation by calling 213-744-2019.
While general admission to the California Science Center is free, reservations for the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center – including Space Shuttle Endeavour – are strongly encouraged due to anticipated high demand. Entry may be limited for visitors without advance reservations. A $4 reservation service fee per person applies; the fee is waived for California Science Center Members.
