Civil Space

Mission Area

Civil Space

From the Sun to Pluto and Beyond

Johns Hopkins APL’s Civil Space Mission Area makes critical contributions to NASA and international missions to meet the challenges of space science, engineering, and exploration.

Since the dawn of the Space Age, APL has pushed the frontiers of space science, engineering and exploration. We captured the first picture of Earth from space, invented navigation by satellite, dispatched spacecraft across the solar system from our Sun to Pluto and beyond, and successfully conducted the world’s first full-scale planetary defense test mission. 

We continue to shape the future by providing our nation with innovative and low-cost solutions to its space challenges. Our work includes conducting research and space exploration; development and application of space science, engineering, and technology; and production of one-of-a-kind spacecraft, instruments, and subsystems.
 

Highlights

  • Artist's rendering of Dragonfly

    Dragonfly

    Dragonfly is a NASA mission that will explore Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. Led by APL, this revolutionary rotorcraft-lander expedition will study the atmosphere, carbon-based chemistry, and geology of this cold yet Earthlike moon and ultimately advance our understanding of life’s chemical origins.
    Learn more about Dragonfly
  • Artist's rendering of IMAP spacecraft

    Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP)

    Set to launch in 2025, NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission will help researchers better understand what happens at the boundary of the heliosphere, where the Sun’s protective magnetic field ends.
    Learn more about Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP)
  • DART crashing into an asteroid

    Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART)

    NASA’s first planetary defense mission—the APL-led Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART)—is the first mission to demonstrate what’s known as the kinetic impactor technique, which involves striking an asteroid to shift its orbit and deflect it from Earth.
    Learn more about Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART)

Recent News

  • Kyle Norman on the job at the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company in Maryland.
    News


    May 25, 2023

    Spacecraft Engineer Is on Fire for Community Service

    When he’s not working on spacecraft electrical systems, Johns Hopkins APL mechanical engineer Kyle Norman spends his time putting out fires — literally. As a volunteer firefighter, he responded to more than 360 emergency calls last year and won a community service award for his efforts.
    Learn more about Spacecraft Engineer Is on Fire for Community Service
  • Jeffrey Boye
    Press Release


    May 24, 2023

    Johns Hopkins APL’s Boye Named Maryland Outstanding Young Engineer

    Jeff Boye was named the 2023 Outstanding Young Engineer by the Maryland Academy of Sciences during a ceremony on May 18 at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore.
    Learn more about Johns Hopkins APL’s Boye Named Maryland Outstanding Young Engineer
  • Illustration of NASA's DART spacecraft with images of the asteroids Dimorphos and Didymos
    Press Release


    May 19, 2023

    DART Mission Recognized for Aerospace Excellence

    NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), designed, built and operated by Johns Hopkins APL, was recognized by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) with the organization’s newest award — the AIAA Award for Aerospace Excellence — on May 18.
    Learn more about DART Mission Recognized for Aerospace Excellence