JPL rolls out the red carpet once a year and it is...

JPL rolls out the red carpet once a year and it is worth braving the crowds to get a look at the cutting edge of technology and space exploration. Many of the labs and workshops are open and the people who actually build and work on the space probes and satellites are on hand to talk about their missions and how the spacecraft are built. Be sure to get there early as the event is always packed to the gills.

If they offer it, be sure to take the shuttle bus up to the deep space simulator building where you can see the giant vacuum chamber where spacecraft are stress tested before heading off into space. If you really want to make someone's day, have your kids bring a space science book and ask the engineers and scientists for autographs. My daughter did that one year and I can't tell you how happy they were that someone thought so highly of them. I can't think of a better way to say thank you to them for all they do that goes unrecognized.