Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, known as APL, is a not-for-profit research center in Laurel, Maryland. It is a university affiliated research center. It solves complex research, engineering and analysis problems for the United States.

APL's scientists, engineers and analysts act as technical advisers to the government. They work to make sure complex technologies are reliable. They help protect national security and push forward the frontiers of space. The lab also runs its own research programs to explore new technologies for future national needs.

The campus covers nearly 461 acres and has more than 20 major buildings, plus a nearby satellite campus. APL reports more than 8,800 staff, and about 80 percent are technical professionals. It also reports more than 600 programs in its portfolio.

Its work is split into 13 mission areas. These are civil space flight, cyber operations, global health, homeland defense, national security analysis, national security space, precision strike, research and exploratory development, sea control, space formulation, special operations, strategic deterrence and theater defense. Each area is set up to meet the needs of its sponsor with on-call engineering, science and analysis.

APL also has a group called Strategic Technology Solutions. It covers six critical technology areas. These are scaled hypersonics, contested logistics technologies, applied artificial intelligence, quantum and battlefield information dominance, biomanufacturing and scaled directed energy. APL passes the technologies it builds to sponsors and to industry partners for development at scale. In September 2026, its engineers reported a new way to make carbon-carbon composites that cuts production time from months to days. These heat-resistant materials matter to aerospace and defense.

In space science, APL builds missions and instruments. It also runs research labs for materials science, physics, biology, power and energy, and intelligent systems. For education, it runs STEM outreach programs and the ASPIRE high school internship and mentorship program. Teachers, parents and students of different ages can join its events.

Services

• Civil space flight
• Cyber operations
• Global health
• Homeland defense
• National security analysis
• Precision strike
• Sea control
• Strategic technology solutions
• Research and exploratory development
• STEM education programs