We solve complex research, engineering, and analytical problems that present critical challenges to our nation. APL—the nation’s largest university affiliated research center—provides U.S. government agencies with deep expertise in specialized fields to support national priorities and technology development programs. We also serve as independent trusted technical agents to the government, providing continuity for highly complex, multigenerational technology development systems.
Our purpose is to make critical contributions to critical challenges. At APL, we feel it is our responsibility to try to solve these national challenges with the full measure of our dedication and expertise.
The Lab’s core values are unquestionable integrity, trusted service to the nation, world-class expertise, and game-changing impact—all in an environment that is collaborative, fulfilling (and even fun!).
APL’s purpose and core values guide our future, and it is no less than to create defining innovations that ensure our nation’s preeminence in the 21st century.
July 26, 2021
Johns Hopkins APL researchers set out to better understand the influence of different defects on the mechanical performance of additively manufactured materials. In a recent journal article, they provide data to help understand the effects of defects and enable decision-making.
July 22, 2021
An expanded collaboration between APL and the Amazon Web Services’ Open Data Sponsorship Program will further enable the storage and accessibility of ever-expanding neuroimaging datasets generated by the neuroscience research community.
July 22, 2021
After six years as chair of APL’s board of managers, Michael Hankin closed out his term on June 30, making way for new chair Heather Murren. Jeffrey Barber has also joined the board.
July 19, 2021
Graeme Smith is passionate about sharing knowledge and inspiring others. Serving as an associate editor for IEEE’s Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems allows him to contribute to the field and advocate for Johns Hopkins APL.
July 14, 2021
NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) will be the first-ever mission to test a way to protect Earth from an asteroid strike. But to ensure DART hits its harmless test target, scientists and engineers at Johns Hopkins APL developed a guidance system unlike anything used on spacecraft before — a system that can direct a spacecraft entirely on its own without any human intervention.
July 13, 2021
Dave Blodgett says he often wakes up at night thinking about work, but that’s OK, because it’s thrilling when your work has tremendous potential for meaningful impact. The chief scientist for APL’s Research and Exploratory Development Department secured his 10th patent in 2020 and has been honored as a Master Inventor.
July 13, 2021
As he was growing up, George Coles Jr. often heard from his father, “If you use it, you need to know how to fix it.” That advice framed an approach to innovation for Coles, one of three staff members to recently earn the APL Master Inventor Award.
July 12, 2021
APL is one of Insider Pro and Computerworld’s top 10 “Best Places to Work in IT,” making the prestigious list for the fourth year in a row.
July 9, 2021
APL scientists have helped solve a decades-old mystery as to how Jupiter produces a spectacular burst of X-rays every few minutes. Critical measurements of the local environment came from APL’s Jupiter Energetic particle Detector Instrument (JEDI) onboard NASA’s Jupiter-orbiting satellite Juno.
June 29, 2021
Sixty years ago today, the U.S. launched its first nuclear-powered satellite into space, a power source that has since enabled more than two dozen pioneering space missions. Here’s a look at four of those missions, all led by Johns Hopkins APL, and the discoveries they have made (or will make).
June 25, 2021
As part of a larger study exploring neural multiplexing and new modes of perception enabled by brain-computer interface, Johns Hopkins researchers have demonstrated the ability to “feel” virtual objects by integrating neural stimulation in a mixed-reality environment.
