Overview
The Microdevices Laboratory invents and develops a broad spectrum of unique flight-worthy micro-devices that enable a wide variety of instruments and missions across the full range of JPL's activities in earth science, planetary exploration, and astrophysics and cosmology.
MDL's extraordinary microdevices and nanotechnologies have enabled JPL and NASA to carry out new types of observations and measurements in space and Earth science missions over the past two decades. Examples like multiblaze diffraction gratings used in spectrometers to understand our changing planet, thermopile detectors used to characterize Mars and Moon, or spider web bolometers used to study distant galaxies and study the beginning of star formation.
MDL's uniqueness resides in the highly talented technical staff and the facility's flexibility and diversity of operations for innovative work but with the controls necessary to allow flight deliverables.