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Photo of Johns Hopkins APL’s Camera Reveals Surprise for NASA’s Lucy Mission in First Asteroid Encounter
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Johns Hopkins APL’s Camera Reveals Surprise for NASA’s Lucy Mission in First Asteroid Encounter

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Mission Formulation and Analysis

A Systems Engineering Approach to Mission Formulation

Mission formulation is the process of developing a full-scale, feasible mission to meet a particular science requirement, whether it be to explore the surface of Titan or view the Earth.

The formulation process begins with a definition of major science requirements, then moves on to identify available engineering approaches, mission designs and opportunities, and subsystems and technologies that will enable or enhance the mission. APL’s interdisciplinary approach brings subsystem leads from all technical areas through a disciplined systems engineering approach to the development of space exploration or Earth-orbiting missions. APL’s flexible and rigorous project management is also applied to ensure that each project is feasible in terms of both timescale and cost because APL values timely and cost-efficient deliveries on par with a healthy and reliable mission.

Missions

APL has designed, built and operated more than 70 innovative spacecraft over its six decades of spaceflight experience. Click below to learn about some of the missions that made revolutionary discoveries, and spacecraft that will push the boundaries of exploration and investigate outstanding scientific mysteries.

Learn more about ACE
ACE spacecraft orbiting the Sun.

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.

Stories

Go inside APL’s space missions and research, and check out the latest news, features and discoveries from the teams that are probing mysteries from the Sun to the edge of the solar system and beyond.

Rendering of the Parker Solar Probe approaching the sun
Sep 18, 2023

Parker Probe’s Path Through Solar Blast Yields Unparalleled Space Weather Insights

NASA's Parker Solar Probe has now become the first spacecraft ever to fly through a powerful solar explosion near the Sun. Passing along and through a coronal mass ejection last September, Parker provided an unparalleled view into these stellar explosions and an opportunity to study them early in their evolution.
A spacecraft covered in gold foil and a tiny box-like companion satellite are in a space scene, with two asteroids: one gray, ellipsoidal and covered in the rocks, the other more pyramid-like; both are gray
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.
The SpaceX rocket carrying DART sits on the launch pad with the DART and NASA logos apparent
Apr 13, 2023

Johns Hopkins APL’s DART Lead Ed Reynolds Named One of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People

Ed Reynolds, a program manager in APL's Space Exploration Sector, has earned a place on the 2023 TIME 100 list of most influential people. Each year, TIME selects artists, innovators, leaders, icons and pioneers from around the globe who are changing the world. Reynolds was recognized for his role leading NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, the first-ever demonstration of asteroid deflection technology