Peeking behind the walls of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab what do we see? The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory or APL is not just any research center. It is a not-for-profit university-affiliated research center. It is located in Howard County Maryland. APL is linked to Johns Hopkins University.
APL employs many people. As of 2024 it had 8700 employees. APL is the largest UARC in the nation.
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory serves as a resource. It supports the Department of Defense NASA and other government agencies. APL develops systems and technologies. These are in air and missile defense and computer security. They also work on space science and spacecraft construction.
While APL offers research to the government it is not a defense contractor. It is a division of Johns Hopkins University. APL is for engineering research and development. It is not an academic division.
The Whiting School of Engineering offers programs for Lab staff. These courses are taught at several locations. This includes the APL Education Center.
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab was created in 1942. This occurred during World War II. It was part of the government’s effort. The goal was to mobilize science expertise. Merle Anthony Tuve was its founding director.
APL developed the variable-time proximity fuze. This played a role in the Allied victory. The APL created the MK 57 gun director in 1944. The Navy tasked it with negating guided missile threats. From there APL became involved in wartime research.
Originally APL was located in Silver Spring Maryland. It was in a used-car garage. APL began moving to Laurel in 1954. The final staff transitioned in 1975.
The name comes from its origins in World War II. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab’s strengths are in systems engineering. More than three-quarters of the staff are technical.
During the 1950s and 1960s APL worked with the US Navy. This was in the Operation Bumblebee Program.
In 1965 the US Army contracted with APL. They wanted to develop a test program for the Pershing missile systems. APL developed the Pershing Operational Test Program.
The modern Applied Physics Laboratory is located in Laurel Maryland. It spans 461 acres. The campus includes innovation spaces as well as labs.
In 2021 APL opened an interdisciplinary research center. In 2022 APL hired its first full-time sustainability manager.
APL is home to a Johns Hopkins graduate program. It is called Engineering for Professionals. APL’s STEM includes several internships.
As of APL’s 80th anniversary in 2022 there were hundreds of projects. These projects focus on complex research. Projects span from air and missile defense to homeland security.
The U.S. Navy continues to be APL’s primary sponsor. The Laboratory supports NASA through space science. APL has made contributions in air defense and space systems.
APL has built and operated many spacecraft. This includes the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Parker Solar Probe mission to the Sun. In 2019 the APL-proposed Dragonfly mission was selected. In November 2021 APL launched the Double Asteroid Redirection Test DART mission.
In 2014 APL made history. It used the Modular Prosthetic Limb. In 2016 similar technology was used for a demonstration. A paralyzed man was able to fist-bump Barack Obama.
APL researches and produces unmanned aerial vehicles. One project is an unmanned aerial swarm.
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory remains at the forefront of innovation. It continues to contribute to national security and scientific advancement. Its legacy of problem-solving and technological expertise is secure. It ensures its importance for years to come.