As a renowned planetary scientist, Jonathan Lunine has an extensive background in the field and has served on the science working group for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. He has also contributed to concept studies for solar system and exoplanet characterization missions. With his wealth of experience, Lunine has been appointed professor of planetary science at Caltech’s Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences.
John Grotzinger, chair of the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences at Caltech, expressed excitement about Lunine joining the faculty. He noted that Lunine brings valuable perspective and expertise to the Caltech community through his diverse scientific questions across the solar system and extending to exoplanets.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at Caltech in Pasadena, California, has a rich history dating back to 1936. JPL played a pivotal role in building and launching Explorer 1, America’s first satellite, in 1958. Following the establishment of NASA by Congress later that year, JPL became part of the agency and has since managed numerous historic missions, including Voyager, Galileo, Cassini, the Mars Exploration Rover program, and the Perseverance Mars rover.
