Impact
Johns Hopkins APL, Navy Team up to Advance Additive Manufacturing for Critical Missions Jun 17, 2025
APL is working with the Naval Sea Systems Command to prove that additive manufacturing can consistently deliver mission-critical components, reducing logistics delays and enhancing fleet readiness.
Johns Hopkins APL Satellite Communications Facility Plays Critical Role in U.S. Lunar Initiative Feb 28, 2025
A signature APL facility that dates back to the Sputnik era is playing a pivotal role for one of NASA’s most critical lunar initiatives.
A New Path to Noninvasive Brain-Computer Interface Nov 14, 2024
A new high-resolution neural recording method developed by Johns Hopkins APL and the School of Medicine detects neural activity through the skull at unprecedented resolutions, expanding possibilities for nonsurgical brain-computer interface.
Scientists Fuse Simulations and Machine Learning to Accelerate Novel Additively Manufactured Materials Oct 9, 2024
A new Johns Hopkins APL-led study shows how machine learning can be used to predict the microstructures produced by a widely used additive manufacturing technique. This novel approach promises to dramatically reduce the cost of and time spent developing materials with tailored physical properties and will soon be implemented on a NASA-funded effort focused on creation of a digital twin.
Johns Hopkins APL Team Applies Expertise to Homeland Defense Wargame Apr 7, 2025
A team from APL played a central role in a recent Defense Department wargame that addressed the challenges of protecting logistics infrastructure against growing adversarial threats.
U.S. Air Force, Johns Hopkins APL Hypersonic Experiment Soars and Collects Vital Data Sep 5, 2024
The BOLT-1B experiment collected data about boundary layer transition (the flow of air around the skin of a hypersonic vehicle), which increases hypersonic vehicle drag and aerodynamic heating. That data will be used by researchers to validate new and more accurate modeling and prediction methods during the design of hypersonic vehicles.
Explore Our Impact
Innovation and Impact
At APL, we create technologies and innovations to protect our homeland and warfighters, enable teamwork between people and machines, expand the limits of computing power, and improve the ability of people to survive in the most remote parts of the globe.
By combining creativity and technical expertise with a culture of risk-taking — brought together in cutting-edge collaboration spaces, labs, and test facilities across our campuses — we tackle increasingly difficult challenges with impacts across multiple domains.
Advanced Manufacturing
Accelerating national readiness and resilience through mission-driven manufacturing innovation
Air and Missile Defense
We develop advanced capabilities to defend our forces and allies against aircraft and missile threats.
Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Autonomy
Advancing AI and intelligent systems to ensure the technology’s capabilities while identifying, minimizing, or eliminating its weaknesses.
Biology and Bioengineering
We work to measure, understand, and harness biological systems and processes to drive innovation and enable new capabilities to address critical challenges.
Communications Systems
APL develops reliable, resilient, and secure communications technologies and systems for dynamic environments.
Cybersecurity
We develop and implement revolutionary situational awareness capabilities across critical cyber platforms.
Health
APL is transforming health care to enhance the nation’s ability to predict, prevent, and detect illness and injury.
Hypersonics
Our foundational expertise in hypersonic technologies allows us to be a critical difference-maker for national defense.
Independent Research and Development
Our Independent Research and Development program funds ideas that address domains or areas of interest to APL and the nation.
ISR Technology
We develop, prototype, and transition state-of-the-art capabilities to revolutionize intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems and technologies.
Next-Generation Materials
Advancing next-generation materials for critical national security applications, such as hypersonic flight, space-based missions, and naval ship construction.
Operational Resilience
APL is bringing all of its core competencies to bear on this critical challenge area, and exploring strategic opportunities to address the national security and operational challenges in a changing world.
Quantum Technologies
Pioneering breakthroughs, unlocking transformative applications, and pushing boundaries in theoretical and experimental quantum science
Space Science and Engineering
Since the dawn of the Space Age, APL has expanded the frontiers of space science and technology.
Strategy and Analysis
APL serves a special role for the United States as a cornerstone research and analysis institution for critical defense technologies.