Angelenos love outer space—judging by the annual open house crowds at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory—and that's great. But maybe there's such a thing as too much enthusiasm for the cosmos.
In response to its overwhelming popularity, JPL's Open House will be switching to a ticketed-only system. While the event will still be free, all visitors will require "A Ticket to Explore JPL" on the weekend of June 4th and 5th. Tickets will be available on April 25 at 9am.
So many people were flocking to the robotic research lab's two days of tours, demos and presentations that JPL needed to shake things up—we've characterized the crowd levels as Disneyland-length lines in SGV-strength heat. This year, tickets will be limited to five per family, and each adult will need to show a matching ID. The reconfigured event should cut down on lengthy exhibit lines with staggered, timed arrival and departure times, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. In addition, the daily capacity will be decreased from over 20,000 people down to 15,000.
We'll have to wait until June to see just how much of a difference tickets make, but JPL's open house changes seem like a welcome move. If you manage to snag a ticket, we suggest making sure to visit the clean room, mission control and the machine shop—and to dress with sun protection in mind. In the meantime, check out our JPL Open House slide show and this video explaining the changes.
