Photo Gallery: NASA Administrator Charles Bolden visits JPL

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, second from right, speaks with SMAP spacecraft lead systems engineer Wayne Lee, right, during visit to the Spacecraft Assembly Facility Cleanroom at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Tuesday, August 13, 2013. The SMAP propulsion module is in front of them. The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) is a NASA Earth satellite mission that will map Earth's land-surface soil moisture.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, second from right, speaks with SMAP spacecraft lead systems engineer Wayne Lee, right, during visit to the Spacecraft Assembly Facility Cleanroom at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Tuesday, August 13, 2013. The SMAP propulsion module is in front of them. The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) is a NASA Earth satellite mission that will map Earth’s land-surface soil moisture.   (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is known for its exploration of space, but the La Cañada Flintridge facility is starting to focus its gaze back to Earth. Three new missions scheduled to launch in 2014 will examine soil moisture, wind, and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Photo Gallery: NASA Administrator Charles Bolden visits JPL

The SMAP spacecraft radar core structure and spin assembly at the Spacecraft Assembly Facility Cleanroom at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Tuesday, August 13, 2013. The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) is a NASA Earth satellite mission that will map Earth’s land-surface soil moisture.  (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

Photo Gallery: NASA Administrator Charles Bolden visits JPL

A 3rd-scale model of the SMAP spacecraft at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Tuesday, August 13, 2013. The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) is a NASA Earth satellite mission that will map Earth’s land-surface soil moisture.  (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

Photo Gallery: NASA Administrator Charles Bolden visits JPL

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, visits the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) at the Spacecraft Assembly Facility Cleanroom at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Tuesday, August 13, 2013. SMAP is a NASA Earth satellite mission that will map Earth’s land-surface soil moisture.  (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

Photo Gallery: NASA Administrator Charles Bolden visits JPL

Instrument Systems Engineer for ISS-RapidScat Dragana Perkovic-Martin, right, talks to the media during to the Spacecraft Assembly Facility Cleanroom at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Tuesday, August 13, 2013.   (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

Photo Gallery: NASA Administrator Charles Bolden visits JPL

SMAP spacecraft project systems engineer Shawn Goodman talks about the satellite in the Spacecraft Assembly Facility Cleanroom at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Tuesday, August 13, 2013. The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) is a NASA Earth satellite mission that will map Earth’s land-surface soil moisture.  (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)