Highlights
Additive Manufacturing at Sea →
Sailors aboard the USS Bataan turned the additive manufacturing at sea concept into reality after successfully fabricating and installing a stainless steel sprayer plate to repair the USS Bataan’s ballasting system. The machinists used a hybrid manufacturing system that was developed and installed on the ship with support from APL and Naval Sea Systems Command, allowing the ship to avoid costly repairs and resume operations.
BAS/CS™ →
Cyberattacks on industrial control systems—which power essential services like electricity, water, and transportation—are on the rise. In recent years, cyber threats targeting infrastructure have increased significantly. APL developed an advanced cybersecurity solution to detect real threats while reducing false alarms.
DART →
APL envisioned, built, and successfully demonstrated NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), the world’s first planetary defense technology demonstration, which proved the capability of a kinetic impactor to deflect an asteroid. This revolutionary low-cost spacecraft used APL-developed and modified air and missile defense algorithms to autonomously target and intercept an asteroid almost 7 million miles from Earth, changing its orbit period by 32 minutes, and providing humanity with a proven solution for planetary defense.
Tomahawk
The Navy came to APL to ensure that the then-new Tomahawk long-range cruise missile could navigate itself through heavily defended environments and strike specific targets, and APL engineers applied terrain contour matching (TERCOM) technology to enable this capability. When even greater accuracy was needed, APL developed the performance prediction algorithms needed to apply digital scene matching area correlator (DSMAC) technology. Tomahawk—enabled by TERCOM and DSMAC—became the world’s first long-range, autonomous, precision-guided weapon, and remains one of the most accurate and effective strike weapons in the U.S. arsenal. In an era of GPS-denied environments, the un-jammable TERCOM and DSMAC systems remain operational on Tomahawk for use when GPS is not available.
Cislunar Science and Technology →
APL is making critical contributions to the development of cislunar infrastructure to ensure our nation’s security interests are protected, support development of a sustainable cislunar presence, and advance pioneering science.
Van Allen Probes
A mission to explore Earth’s harsh radiation belt environment and the dynamics of geomagnetic storms
Balloon Programs
APL balloon missions and instruments observe planetary targets and the interstellar medium, and conduct other space science investigations.
ACE
A heliophysics observatory, the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) provides early warning of geomagnetic storms that can overload power grids, disrupt communications on Earth, and present a hazard to astronauts.
Parker Solar Probe
Parker Solar Probe dives closer to the Sun than humanity has ever ventured to unlock the mysteries of our nearest star.
Robust and Resilient Artificial Intelligence
Developing the next generation of intelligent systems for missions characterized by uncertain, dynamic, and adversarial environments
Neural Interfaces
Directly interfacing with the nervous system to restore lost functions and enhance human capability
Neuroscience-Inspired Artificial Intelligence
Developing next-generation algorithms and computing substrates that leverage neurobiology to revolutionize intelligent systems
Lifelong Learning Machines
Enabling intelligent systems that continuously adapt to changing conditions and missions in the real world
AI for Complex Systems
Leveraging the power of artificial intelligence and mathematics to spur innovation and novel solutions to challenges at the intersection of Earth systems and national security
MOSAICS: Cyber Defense for Industrial Control Systems
APL is leading the development of the first-ever comprehensive, integrated, and automated solution for industrial control system cybersecurity.
AlphaDogfight Trials
APL served as a core member of the Air Combat Evolution program team created by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for the 2020 AlphaDogfight Trials, a showdown between eight AI research teams from across the United States.
Golden Horde
Achieving networked, collaborative offensive weapons systems that will learn from their environment and autonomously work together to defeat integrated air and missile defenses.