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Sport Chalet was a sporting goods chain with 47 stores in Southern & Northern California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. Most stores were over 35,000 square feet (3,300 square meters) in size, with many including dive pools and offering SCUBA classes. Sport Chalet stores usually featured large apparel and footwear departments complemented by an array of specialized departments and sections. On April 16, 2016, the company announced that it would close all stores in the coming months and that all online sales had already stopped. The last stores closed in June 2016.

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86-480: Sport Chalet was founded on April 1, 1959 by newlyweds Norbert Olberz, a former baker, and his wife Irene, who bought a ski and tennis shop in La Cañada Flintridge, California , for $ 4000, equaling a $ 2500 check plus a negotiation, from Milo Svoboda, the original owner, whose store had only been open four months. To initially stock the store with ski gear, the couple took out a $ 5,000 loan and borrowed money from

172-552: A Jupiter-C rocket. They carried out three successful sub-orbital flights in 1956 and 1957. Using a spare Juno I (a modified Jupiter-C with a fourth stage), the two organizations then launched the United States' first satellite, Explorer 1 , on January 31, 1958. This significant achievement marked a new era for JPL and the US in the space race. Less than a year later in December 1958, JPL

258-409: A close flyby of Saturn 's moon Titan . The spacecraft sent back detailed images and data from both gas giants, revolutionizing our understanding of these distant worlds. The Voyager 2 spacecraft followed a more extensive trajectory, conducting flybys of not just Jupiter and Saturn, but also Uranus and Neptune. These encounters provided firsthand data from all four gas giants, offering insights into

344-502: A disaster or terrorist attack. FINDER uses microwave radar to detect breathing and pulses. Additionally, JPL is home to the JPL-RPIF (Jet Propulsion Laboratory – Regional Planetary Image Facility) which is chartered as a repository for all robotic spacecraft hard-copy data and thus provides a valuable resource to NASA funded science investigators, and an important conduit for the distribution of NASA generated materials to local educators in

430-469: A female householder with no husband present, and 16.6% were non-families. 14.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.27. In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.8% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 20.9% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

516-577: A kilometer or more in diameter that cross Earth's orbit by 2013. Entering the 2010s and 2020s, JPL continued its Mars exploration with the Curiosity rover and the Mars 2020 mission, which included the Perseverance rover and the retired Ingenuity helicopter . Perseverance's core objective was to collect samples for a future Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission. In addition, JPL ventured into asteroid exploration with

602-703: A middle school (grades 7–8), is a 1993 and 2004 Blue Ribbon School . A small western portion of the city is served by the Glendale Unified School District , with La Cañada Flintridge students attending Mountain Avenue Elementary School, Rosemont Middle School, Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School and Crescenta Valley High School . Several private schools that are not part of the LCUSD are located within La Cañada. The private high schools within

688-427: A relative and some employees. Early on, Sport Chalet stocked products that few other stores sold, such as scuba and mountain-climbing gear. When surfing became popular in the early 1960s, the store began carrying longboards and wetsuits . Sport Chalet grew piecemeal in La Cañada along Foothill Boulevard . Olberz converted a former grocery store into a full-line sporting goods store and an old furniture store became

774-589: A resident office at the facility staffed by federal managers who oversee JPL's activities and work for NASA. There are also some Caltech graduate students , college student interns and co-op students. The JPL Education Office serves educators and students by providing them with activities, resources, materials and opportunities tied to NASA missions and science. The mission of its programs is to introduce and further students' interest in pursuing STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers. JPL offers research, internship and fellowship opportunities in

860-505: A smaller part of JPL's overall budget, they are integral to fulfilling the diverse set of objectives that these federal agencies oversee. In fiscal year 2022, the laboratory's budget was approximately $ 2.4 billion, with the largest share going to Planetary Science development. In 2024, due to budget misappropriation in Mars Sample Return (MSR), the lab slashed approximately 1000 workers and contractors in preparation to make wave for

946-458: A year on a Saturday and Sunday in May or June, when the public was invited to tour the facilities and see live demonstrations of JPL science and technology. More limited private tours are also available throughout the year if scheduled well in advance. Thousands of schoolchildren from Southern California and elsewhere visit the lab every year. Due to federal spending cuts mandated by budget sequestration ,

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1032-647: Is a city in the foothills of the Verdugo Mountains in Los Angeles County, California , United States. Located in the Crescenta Valley , in the western edge of the San Gabriel Valley , it is the location of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory . Before the city's incorporation on November 30, 1976, it consisted of the two distinct communities of La Cañada and Flintridge. The population was 20,573 at

1118-514: Is given annually to an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to public awareness of space programs, in 1998; and with the John L. "Jack" Swigert, Jr., Award for Space Exploration on three occasions – in 2009 (as part of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander Team ), 2006 and 2005. When it was founded, JPL's site was immediately west of a rocky flood-plain – the Arroyo Seco riverbed – above

1204-604: Is limited due to the city's location inland from the intervening Santa Monica Mountains , the Verdugo Mountains , and the San Rafael Hills. Consequently, summers are generally hotter and winters often cooler than in coastal parts of metropolitan Los Angeles, if winds are calm or blowing gently offshore. Occasional strong offshore winds, known as the Santa Ana winds , can bring particularly hot air in summer and fall as air from

1290-450: Is subject to annual fluctuations based on both the federal allocation to NASA and the life cycle of ongoing projects. High-profile missions may receive significant long-term funding commitments, whereas smaller or shorter-term projects may have more modest financial support. These agencies often commission projects that leverage JPL's unique expertise in areas like remote sensing , robotics, and systems engineering. Although these projects form

1376-870: The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter ; the Juno spacecraft orbiting Jupiter ; the SMAP satellite for Earth surface soil moisture monitoring; the NuSTAR X-ray telescope ; and the Psyche asteroid orbiter. It is also responsible for managing the JPL Small-Body Database , and provides physical data and lists of publications for all known small Solar System bodies . JPL's Space Flight Operations Facility and Twenty-Five-Foot Space Simulator are designated National Historic Landmarks . JPL traces its beginnings to 1936 in

1462-458: The 2020 census . The Shoshone were first to settle in the area. Reference to the entire city is often shortened to just "La Cañada" or seldom to just "Flintridge". The full city name specifically does not have a hyphen in it, to illustrate unity between the two communities that became one. During the Spanish and Mexican eras, the area was known as Rancho La Cañada . La Cañada comes from

1548-667: The Angeles Crest Highway . It begins at the intersection with Foothill Boulevard and follows a two-mile, 5% grade before entering the San Gabriel Mountains . On September 5, 2008, a big rig carrying 78,000 pounds of onions lost its brakes on the Angeles Crest Highway. To avoid a collision with the Hill Street Café at the intersection with Foothill Boulevard, the rig turned towards a small driveway, sideswiped

1634-599: The California State Assembly , La Cañada Flintridge is located in the 41st district , and is represented by Chris Holden . In the United States House of Representatives , La Cañada Flintridge is in California's 28th congressional district , represented by Democrat Judy Chu . The La Cañada Unified School District (LCUSD) serves most of the city, and is ranked as one of the top school districts in

1720-590: The Eastern Mountain Sports and Bob's Stores sporting goods chains as well as Sport Chalet, announced it had filed for bankruptcy protection and reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code . By June 2016, all stores had closed. Sport Chalet claimed to pride itself on employing well-trained and knowledgeable employees who had extensive knowledge and/or experience in their respective departments, leading to one of

1806-553: The Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology (GALCIT) when the first set of United States rocket experiments were carried out in the Arroyo Seco . This initial venture involved Caltech graduate students Frank Malina , Qian Xuesen , Weld Arnold and Apollo M. O. Smith , along with Jack Parsons and Edward S. Forman , often referred to as the "Suicide Squad" due to

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1892-635: The Los Angeles River north of downtown Los Angeles. La Cañada Flintridge varies in elevation from about 970 feet (300 m) just below Devil's Gate Dam in the Arroyo Seco to about 2,400 feet (730 m) at the highest neighborhood, along the mountain front east of Pickens Canyon, at the upper end of Ocean View Blvd. The city limits extend into the San Gabriel Mountains and reach 3,440 feet (1,050 m) along Mount Lukens Road, which follows

1978-534: The Los Angeles Superior Court took opening statements on the case in which former JPL employee David Coppedge brought suit against the lab due to workplace discrimination and wrongful termination. In the suit, Coppedge alleges that he first lost his "team lead" status on JPL's Cassini-Huygens mission in 2009 and then was fired in 2011 because of his evangelical Christian beliefs and specifically his belief in intelligent design . Conversely, JPL, through

2064-607: The Moon that paved the way for the Apollo program . JPL proved itself a leader in interplanetary exploration with the Mariner missions to Venus , Mars , and Mercury , returning valuable data about our neighboring planets. Additionally, JPL was early to employ female mathematicians. In the 1940s and 1950s, using mechanical calculators, women in an all-female computations group performed trajectory calculations. In 1961, JPL hired Dana Ulery as

2150-517: The NASDAQ exchange in 1992. In 1997 Craig Levra came on board as president and in 1999 took over as CEO. Norbert Olberz died in La Cañada Flintridge on July 15, 2011, survived by his wife Irene and his son Eric. Two years later Eric resigned from the board, replaced by Miki Berardelli, chief marketing officer of New York women’s clothing designer and retailer Tory Burch . In 2014 Sport Chalet

2236-531: The OSIRIS-REx mission which returned a sample from asteroid Bennu . As JPL moves forward, its focus remains on diverse interplanetary and even interstellar missions. Future Mars missions will aim to return the samples collected by the Perseverance rover back to Earth. Additionally, JPL's Europa Clipper mission launched in 2024 to study Jupiter's moon Europa , believed to harbor a subsurface ocean. Building on

2322-506: The United States Geological Survey (USGS), and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Occasionally, JPL engages in joint missions or research endeavors with international space agencies or research institutions. While these partnerships contribute a relatively small portion of JPL's overall budget, they serve to enhance the scope and impact of its scientific research and technological development. The total budget for JPL

2408-723: The White Sands Proving Ground , Edwards Air Force Base , and Goldstone, California . In 1954, JPL teamed up with Wernher von Braun 's engineers at the Army Ballistic Missile Agency 's Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama , to propose orbiting a satellite during the International Geophysical Year . The team lost that proposal to Project Vanguard , and instead embarked on a classified project to demonstrate ablative re-entry technology using

2494-464: The 2010 United States Census, La Cañada Flintridge had a median household income of $ 136,818, with 3.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line. As of the census of 2000, there were 20,318 people, 6,823 households, and 5,690 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,348.9 inhabitants per square mile (906.9/km ). There were 6,989 housing units at an average density of 808.0 per square mile (312.0/km ). The racial makeup of

2580-598: The 98th most expensive zip code in 2023. The city is situated in the Crescenta Valley and far western end of the San Gabriel Valley , between the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest to the north, and the San Rafael Hills to the south. Most of the city drains southeastward toward the Arroyo Seco area in Pasadena , but the western part of the city (generally west of Alta Canyada Road) drains southward toward Glendale via Verdugo Canyon. Both drainages join

2666-812: The COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly after, the La Cañada Outlook announced they were buying the Valley Sun and were rebranding their newspaper as the La Cañada Outlook Valley Sun . The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) provides law enforcement services to La Cañada Flintridge under contract and operates the Crescenta Valley Station in La Crescenta. The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) operates fire stations 19 and 82 in

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2752-445: The Café, crashed into a wall, a garbage bin, a tree and six vehicles before coming to rest in the parking lot. James Bines, 43, of Florida , and his passenger, Willy Robinson, had been hauling a full load of onions through the high desert area in the 18-wheeler. They traveled over the Angeles Crest Highway because, Bines said, he had received directions from his global positioning system that

2838-498: The Department of Commerce, claiming their constitutional rights were being violated by the new, overly invasive background investigations. 97% of JPL employees were classified at the low-risk level and would be subjected to the same clearance procedures as those obtaining moderate/high risk clearance. Under HSPD 12 and FIPS 201, investigators have the right to obtain any information on employees, which includes questioning acquaintances on

2924-556: The Devil's Gate dam in the northwestern panhandle of the city of Pasadena in Southern California , near Los Angeles . While the first few buildings were constructed in land bought from the city of Pasadena, subsequent buildings were constructed in neighboring unincorporated land that later became part of La Cañada Flintridge . Nowadays, most of the 168 acres (68 ha) of the U.S. federal government -owned NASA property that makes up

3010-521: The JPL campus is located in La Cañada Flintridge. Despite this, JPL still uses a Pasadena address (4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109) as its official mailing address. There has been occasional rivalry between the two cities over the issue of which one should be mentioned in the media as the home of the laboratory. After the 2024 layoffs, there are only approximately 5,500 full-time Caltech employees and contractors working on any given day. NASA also has

3096-519: The Los Angeles/southern California area. The predominant source of JPL's financial support is NASA. As a field center of NASA, JPL's primary activities and projects are generally aligned with NASA's mission objectives in space exploration, Earth sciences, and astrophysics. The funding allocated to JPL comes as a portion of NASA's annual budget, which is itself part of the United States federal budget approved by Congress. The scale of

3182-546: The NASA Museum Alliance in 2003 out of a desire to provide museums, planetariums, visitor centers and other kinds of informal educators with exhibit materials, professional development and information related to the then-upcoming landings of the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity . The Alliance now has more than 500 members, who get access to NASA displays, models, educational workshops and networking opportunities through

3268-578: The Ninth Circuit found the process violated the employees' privacy rights and issued a preliminary injunction. NASA appealed and the US Supreme Court granted certiorari on March 8, 2010. On January 19, 2011, the Supreme Court overturned the Ninth Circuit decision, ruling that the background checks did not violate any constitutional privacy right that the employees may have had. On March 12, 2012,

3354-518: The San Rafael Hills, but more generally including most areas south of Foothill Blvd. The eastern part, even north of Foothill Blvd, was also originally considered Flintridge and is still home to the Flintridge Riding Club and Flintridge Preparatory School . On November 30, 1976, the cities of Flintridge and La Cañada were merged into a single incorporated city named "La Cañada Flintridge". According to Forbes , La Cañada Flintridge ranked as

3440-464: The Spanish word cañada ( pronounced [kaˈɲaða] ), meaning 'canyon', 'gorge', or 'ravine'. In December 1933 and January 1934, the La Cañada Valley was severely flooded in the Crescenta Valley flood (1933 and 1934) . Flintridge was named after its developer, United States Senator Frank P. Flint . Flintridge comprises the southern part of the city, covering the northern flank of

3526-638: The Voyager program's success, JPL continues to push the boundaries of deep-space exploration. The Interstellar Probe concept, though not yet formalized, proposes to send a spacecraft ten times the distance from the Sun as Pluto, to explore the interstellar medium and the outermost reaches of our solar system. JPL has been recognized four times by the Space Foundation : with the Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award, which

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3612-473: The budget is contingent on the projects that JPL undertakes as missions can range from flagship interplanetary missions costing billions of U.S. dollars to smaller Earth observation systems with budgets in the hundreds of millions. Aside from NASA, JPL secures funding for specialized projects from other federal agencies, including but not limited to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

3698-406: The city limits are St. Francis High School , Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy , and Flintridge Preparatory School . The private elementary schools within the city limits are Crestview Preparatory (K-6), The Learning Castle (K-3), La Cañada Preparatory (grades 4–8), and St. Bede (K-8). Delphi Academy of Los Angeles, a Delphi Academy school, opened in La Cañada Flintridge in 1984. The school left

3784-547: The city manager, city attorney, city treasurer, and all members of its advisory bodies. It also serves as the governing board for the public improvement corporation, the redevelopment agency, the LCF Local Financing Authority, and Sanitation Districts No. 28 and No. 34. As of April 2024, the current members of the city council are: In the state senate , La Cañada Flintridge is in the 25th Senate District , represented by Democrat Sasha Renée Pérez . In

3870-410: The city was 65.53% White , 0.36% Black or African American , 0.18% Native American , 31.57% Asian , 0.04% Pacific Islander , 1.01% from other races , and 3.31% from two or more races. 4.80% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 6,823 households, out of which 44.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.7% were married couples living together, 7.3% had

3956-800: The city when its current campus in Lake View Terrace, Los Angeles opened in 2003. The city was originally serviced by two newspapers: the La Cañada Valley Sun , a community division of the Los Angeles Times , and the La Cañada Outlook . However, in April 2020, the Los Angeles Times announced it would be shutting down some of its local papers, including the La Cañada Valley Sun due to continuing financial issues that were worsened by

4042-538: The city. Also an additional one at JPL NASA. Fire stations 11 and 12 in Altadena, and station 63 in La Crescenta-Montrose also serve the city regularly. Emergency transportation is done by Care Ambulance Service . Annual landscaping inspections and "stringent fire-safe building codes" were put in place to mitigate the risk of wildfires, like the 2009 Station Fire . La Cañada Flintridge is the southern terminus of

4128-926: The company for at least ten years. The company was the title sponsor of the "U.S.B.A. California Regional Tour." The tour was a collection of three events that were sanctioned by the United States Bodyboarding Association, that took place at different Southern California beaches; events ran between June 7, 2008, and November 9, 2008. Following the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Sport Chalet, in conjunction with Soles 4 Souls, began accepting donations of gently worn shoes at all their locations until January 31, 2010. They collected almost one million pairs of shoes in two weeks. La Ca%C3%B1ada Flintridge, California La Cañada Flintridge , commonly known as just La Cañada ( Spanish for 'The Canyon'),

4214-429: The company's slogans 'The Experts'. Sport Chalet was one of the few major sporting goods retailers to focus on a broad array of more specialized sports, including kayaking, SCUBA diving, mountain climbing, canyoneering, and other extreme sports. Sport Chalet additionally used the slogan "We'll Take You to The Limit". In 1998, Olberz gave $ 1.5 million (~$ 2.62 million in 2023) in stock to 109 employees who had been with

4300-467: The council selects one of its members to serve as mayor and another to serve as mayor pro-tem for terms of one year. The elections were held on March of odd-numbered years until 2017. Beginning in 2020, the elections are held during the California Primary elections. The council is aided by five commissions and two committees, each with its own area of responsibility. In addition, the council appoints

4386-556: The crest line well above the developed city. In August 2009, the city came under threat by the Station Fire . The city is considered a "very high fire hazard severity zone" because of the local topography at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains and abundance of California Live Oak, despite an aggressive fire safety program. The climate of La Cañada Flintridge is typical of a Southern California inland valley, with mild winters and hot summers. Spring often has hazy days, in contrast to

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4472-560: The dangerous nature of their experiments. Together, they tested a small, alcohol-fueled motor to gather data for Malina's graduate thesis. Malina's thesis advisor was engineer/aerodynamicist Theodore von Kármán , who eventually secured U.S. Army financial support for this "GALCIT Rocket Project" in 1939. In the early years of the project, work was primarily focused on the development of rocket technology. In 1941, Malina, Parsons, Forman, Martin Summerfield , and pilot Homer Bushey demonstrated

4558-473: The desert plateaus crosses the mountains and descends, thus warming further by adiabatic heating. Summer and early fall temperatures are substantially cooler if the prevailing wind is persistently onshore. Occasionally during a winter storm, the upper elevations of the city may see trace amounts of snow. Several ski resorts, Mountain High , Mount Baldy , and Mount Waterman , are located about 30 miles (48 km) to

4644-510: The diversity of organizations you represent." The NASA/JPL Educator Resource Center, which is moving from its location at the Indian Hill Mall in Pomona, California, at the end of 2013, offers resources, materials and free workshops for formal and informal educators covering science, technology, engineering and science topics related to NASA missions and science. The lab had an open house once

4730-486: The eastbound Foothill Freeway at the Angeles Crest Highway in their red Ford Escort and were starting to turn north on the highway to return to Palmdale when the semi-truck struck their vehicle. A bill that bans heavy trucks with three or more axles from driving on the Angeles Crest Highway was signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on August 6, 2009. On October 9, 2024, a Toyota Prius traveling southbound on Angeles Crest Highway crashed into six cars parked at

4816-492: The first female engineer to work alongside male engineers as part of the Ranger and Mariner mission tracking teams. Building on the momentum from the successes of the 1960s and early 1970s, JPL initiated an era of deep space exploration in the late 1970s and 1980s. The highlight of this period was the launch of the twin Voyager spacecraft in 1977. Initially set on a trajectory to explore Jupiter and its moon Io, Voyager 1 's mission parameters were adjusted to also provide

4902-414: The first jet-assisted takeoff ( JATO ) rockets to the Army. In 1943, von Kármán, Malina, Parsons, and Forman established the Aerojet Corporation to manufacture JATO rockets. The project took on the name Jet Propulsion Laboratory in November 1943, formally becoming an Army facility operated under contract by the university. In the same year, Qian and two of his colleagues drafted the first document to use

4988-419: The first successful Mars rover, Sojourner , demonstrating the feasibility of mobile exploration on the Martian surface. In 2004, the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity , landed on Mars. Opportunity outlived its expected lifespan by 14 years, providing a wealth of scientific data and setting the stage for future Mars missions. In the 2000s and 2010s, JPL broadened its exploration scope, including

5074-534: The highway, State Route 2 , was the most direct route from there to Los Angeles. On April 1, 2009, a similar incident occurred at roughly the same location. A car carrier transporting six cars southbound on the Angeles Crest Highway lost its brakes and, despite three runaway vehicle escape medians in the center islands, caused multiple vehicle accidents that resulted in two fatalities and 12 injuries, three of them critical. Angel Jorge Posca, 58, and his 12-year-old daughter Angelina, both of Palmdale , had just exited

5160-416: The laboratory developed two significant deployed weapon systems, the MGM-5 Corporal and MGM-29 Sergeant intermediate-range ballistic missiles, marking the first US ballistic missiles developed at JPL. It also developed several other weapons system prototypes, such as the Loki anti-aircraft missile system, and the forerunner of the Aerobee sounding rocket. At various times, it carried out rocket testing at

5246-421: The laboratory is the construction and operation of planetary robotic spacecraft , though it also conducts Earth-orbit and astronomy missions. It is also responsible for operating the NASA Deep Space Network (DSN). Among the major active projects at the laboratory, some are the Mars 2020 mission, which includes the Perseverance rover; the Mars Science Laboratory mission, including the Curiosity rover;

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5332-408: The launch of missions to study the outer planets, like the Juno mission to Jupiter and the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn. Concurrently, JPL also began to focus on Earth science missions, developing satellite technology to study climate change, weather patterns, and natural phenomena on Earth. JPL also opened the Near-Earth Object Program Office for NASA in 1998, which had found 95% of asteroids

5418-433: The more persistently clear weather of fall. On average, the warmest month is August with high temperatures in the low to mid 90s and lows in the low 70s. December and January are the coolest months with typical highs in the low to mid 60s and lows in the low 40s. Rainfall occurs mostly during winter, averaging about 21 inches annually. Rainfall is rare in summer. The moderating influence of the ocean (22 miles, 35 km, away)

5504-456: The name Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In a NASA conference on the history of early rocketry, Malina wrote that the work of the JPL was "considered to include" the research carried out by the GALCIT Rocket Research Group from 1936 on. In 1944, Parsons was expelled due to his "unorthodox and unsafe working methods" following one of several FBI investigations into his involvement with the occult, drugs and sexual promiscuity. During JPL's Army years,

5590-425: The nature and dynamics of the outer planets. Both Voyager spacecraft, after fulfilling their primary mission objectives, were directed towards interstellar space , carrying with them the Golden Records – phonograph discs containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life on Earth. The 1980s also saw the inception of the Galileo mission which launched in the late 1980s. The Galileo spacecraft

5676-507: The nearby motion picture and television industries, by advising them about scientific accuracy in their productions. Science fiction shows advised by JPL include Babylon 5 and its sequel series, Crusade . JPL also works with the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS-S&T). JPL and DHS-S&T developed a search and rescue tool for first responders called FINDER. First responders can use FINDER to locate people still alive who are buried in rubble after

5762-432: The next fiscal year 2025. There is a tradition at JPL to eat "good luck peanuts " before critical mission events, such as orbital insertions or landings. As the story goes, after the Ranger program had experienced failure after failure during the 1960s, the first successful Ranger mission to impact the Moon occurred after a JPL staff member had decided to pass out peanuts to relieve tension. The staff jokingly decided that

5848-598: The northeast. The 2010 United States Census reported that La Cañada Flintridge had a population of 20,246. The population density was 2,341.8 inhabitants per square mile (904.2/km ). The racial makeup of La Cañada Flintridge was 13,959 (68.9%) White (64.7% Non-Hispanic White), 109 (0.5%) African American , 24 (0.1%) Native American , 5,214 (25.8%) Asian , 5 (0.0%) Pacific Islander , 245 (1.2%) from other races , and 690 (3.4%) from two or more races. There were 1,267 people of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race (6.3%). The Census reported that 20,219 people (99.9% of

5934-535: The open house has been previously cancelled. JPL open house for 2014 was October 11 and 12 and 2015 was October 10 and 11. Starting from 2016, JPL replaced the annual Open House with "Ticket to Explore JPL", which features the same exhibits but requires tickets and advance reservation. Roboticist and Mars rover driver Vandi Verma frequently acts as science communicator at open house type events to encourage children (and particularly girls) into STEM careers. In addition to its government work, JPL has also assisted

6020-445: The peanuts must have been a good luck charm, and the tradition persisted. These are some of the missions partially sponsored by JPL: The JPL Advanced Projects Design Team, also known as Team X, is an interdisciplinary team of engineers that utilizes "concurrent engineering methodologies to complete rapid design, analysis and evaluation of mission concept designs". On February 25, 2005, Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12

6106-408: The population were below the poverty line , including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over. According to Mapping L.A. , English and Korean were the most ancestries in 2000. Korea and Iran were the most common foreign places of birth. La Cañada Flintridge is governed by its city council , which has five members, each elected to overlapping four-year terms. Each year,

6192-634: The population) lived in households, 21 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 6 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 6,849 households, out of which 2,873 (41.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 5,029 (73.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 525 (7.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 214 (3.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 103 (1.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 36 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 924 households (13.5%) were made up of individuals, and 559 (8.2%) had someone living alone who

6278-716: The program. Staff at educational organizations that meet the Museum Alliance requirements can register to participate online. The Museum Alliance is a subset of the JPL Education Office's Informal Education group, which also serves after-school and summer programs, parents and other kinds of informal educators. On December 9, 2020 , the Museum Alliance officially announced a rebrand to the Museum & Informal Education (MIE) Alliance. In an announcement to members, they said, "Pronounced 'My' Alliance, our new name better reflects

6364-512: The side entrance of the restaurant. Jet Propulsion Laboratory The Jet Propulsion Laboratory ( JPL ) is a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) in La Cañada Flintridge, California , Crescenta Valley, United States. Founded in 1936 by Caltech researchers, the laboratory is now owned and sponsored by NASA and administered and managed by the California Institute of Technology . The primary function of

6450-534: The ski shop. He also converted a gas station into a ski rental shop and opened a golf store down the street. Sport Chalet's location was about one block southeast of the intersection with Angeles Crest Highway , a major route into the San Gabriel Mountains. The company opened its second store in 1981 in Huntington Beach, California . By the mid-1980s, the company expanded to have stores throughout Southern California . Sport Chalet started being traded publicly on

6536-729: The state. On September 13, 2010, the California Department of Education announced that 2010 California Standards Tests (CSTs) results indicate that the La Cañada Unified School District earned the second highest Academic Performance Index (API) score in the state. The API reflects a district's performance level, based on the results of statewide testing. The district has three public elementary schools that serve grades K-6: La Cañada Elementary, Palm Crest Elementary , and Paradise Canyon Elementary School . The public high school, La Cañada High School , which also serves as

6622-439: The status of the employee's mental, emotional, and financial stability. Additionally, if employees depart JPL before the end of the two-year validity of the background check, no investigation ability is terminated; former employees can still be legally monitored. Employees were told that if they did not sign an unlimited waiver of privacy, they would be deemed to have "voluntarily resigned". The United States Court of Appeals for

6708-525: The summer and throughout the year to high school through postdoctoral and faculty students. (In most cases, students must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents to apply, although foreign nationals studying at U.S. universities are eligible for limited programs.) Interns are sponsored through NASA programs, university partnerships and JPL mentors for research opportunities at the laboratory in areas including technology, robotics, planetary science, aerospace engineering, and astrophysics. In August 2013, JPL

6794-413: Was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males. According to a 2008 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $ 140,474, and the median income for a family was $ 157,511. Males had a median income of $ 92,760 versus $ 57,321 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 52,838. About 3.6% of families and 4.3% of

6880-521: Was 45.9 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males. There were 7,089 housing units at an average density of 820.0 per square mile (316.6/km ), of which 6,120 (89.4%) were owner-occupied, and 729 (10.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%. 18,052 people (89.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,167 people (10.7%) lived in rental housing units. According to

6966-441: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95. There were 5,768 families (84.2% of all households); the average family size was 3.24. The age distribution of the population was spread out, with 5,315 people (26.3%) under the age of 18, 1,363 people (6.7%) aged 18 to 24, 3,157 people (15.6%) aged 25 to 44, 7,224 people (35.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 3,187 people (15.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

7052-453: Was approved by the Secretary of Commerce . This was followed by Federal Information Processing Standards 201 ( FIPS 201 ), which specified how the federal government should implement personal identity verification. These specifications led to a need for rebadging to meet the updated requirements. On August 30, 2007, a group of JPL employees filed suit in federal court against NASA, Caltech, and

7138-479: Was designed to study Jupiter and its major moons in detail. Although the probe only entered the gas giant's orbit in the 1990s, its inception and planning during the 1980s signified JPL's continued commitment to deep space exploration. The 1990s and 2000s saw a resurgence in Mars exploration, driven by JPL's Mars Pathfinder and Mars Exploration Rover missions. In 1997, the Mars Pathfinder mission deployed

7224-643: Was named one of "The 10 Most Awesome College Labs of 2013" by Popular Science, which noted that about 100 students who intern at the laboratory are considered for permanent jobs at JPL after they graduate. The JPL Education Office also hosts the Planetary Science Summer School (PSSS), an annual week-long workshop for graduate and postdoctoral students. The program involves a one-week team design exercise developing an early mission concept study, working with JPL's Advanced Projects Design Team ("Team X") and other concurrent engineering teams. JPL created

7310-421: Was sold to Vestis Retail Group for $ 17M, as well as absorbing its current $ 50M in debts. Vestis was owned by the private equity firm Versa Capital Management. On April 16, 2016, Sport Chalet announced that all stores would close, with May 15 being the last day for customers to use gift cards and store credits, and that online merchandise sales had already been stopped. Subsequently, Vestis Retail Group, which owns

7396-454: Was transferred to the newly formed National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). As a result of this transition, JPL became the agency's primary planetary spacecraft center, leading the design and operation of various lunar and interplanetary missions. The transfer to NASA marked the beginning of a "Golden Age" of planetary exploration for JPL in the 1960s and 1970s. JPL engineers designed and operated Ranger and Surveyor missions to

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