The Applied Physics Laboratory has designed and built many of the first spacecraft and instruments launched by the United States. Our history of space exploration includes building 60 spacecraft and over 175 instruments - more flight hardware than most aerospace institutions around the globe. The diversity of our experience ranges from small to mid sized and interplanetary spacecraft and instruments that have surveyed every portion of the spectrum.

Following the launch of Sputnik in 1959, two scientists at APL, Bill Guier and George Weiffenbach, realized that they could acquire position information of the spacecraft by observing the Sputnik's Doppler shift by led to the formulation of the satellite navigation concept. This achievement gave rise to the Transit Program and ultimately to the modern era of spacecraft tracking, monitoring, and ultimately to the Global Positioning System used worldwide. In spaceflight design, hardware, and operations, our pioneering history in the aerospace world has resulted in many science and engineering firsts. Some of our engineering strengths include:

• Systems Engineering (related Tech Digest article)
• Instrument Design and Manufacture (related Tech Digest article)
• Quality & Reliability (related Tech Digest article)
• Integration and Test
• Mechanical engineering, mechanical design, thermal, and instrument accommodations
• Systems Engineering
• Electronic systems including communications, navigation, power; ultrastable oscillators; miniaturized electronics
• Mission Operations (related Tech Digest article)
  

APL designs, manages, fabricates, tests, and operates interplanetary, space science, and earth science missions. The Space Department offers an "end-to-end" approach to mission design and execution. Extensive engineering, assembly, integration and test facilities at APL help to lower costs for our customers and simplify management of the entire spacecraft development process.