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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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RF Communications

Enabling Communications, Navigation and Unique Sensors

The Radio Frequency (RF) Engineering team provides APL and its sponsors with cost-effective and often first-of-their-kind RF systems that operate reliably in the harsh environment of space.

Our RF Engineering team supports APL’s major spacecraft development projects, such as New Horizons, MESSENGER, STEREO, Van Allen Probes, Parker Solar Probe and Dragonfly, while also supplying RF systems to partner organizations. For missions that must reliably communicate from such varying and disparate regions as the Sun’s corona or the farthest edges of the solar system, APL draws on its unique expertise in a variety of space environments and mission plans. With more than 60 years of experience in the design, analysis and testing of RF components and systems, we leverage flight heritage designs and a history of qualifying advanced technologies to enable new missions.

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 Parker Solar Probe
Parker Solar Probe approaching the Sun

Parker Solar Probe

Parker Solar Probe dives closer to the Sun than humanity has ever ventured to unlock the mysteries of our nearest star.

Instruments

Scientists and engineers at APL have designed, built and operated more than 300 novel space instruments and methods to conduct cutting-edge research and make groundbreaking discoveries. Click below to learn about some of these instruments and their role in shaping our understanding of space and the solar system.

Learn more about Mini-RF
Mini-RF instrument observing the Moon's surface.

Mini-RF

Mission

LRO

Destinations

Moon
Mini-RF data is advancing our understanding of the lunar poles — prime targets for humankind’s return to the Moon.

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 Europa Clipper spacecraft nearing Europa
Sep 6, 2023

Johns Hopkins APL Team Earn NASA Awards for Europa Clipper Work

APL team members on NASA's Europa Clipper mission recently picked up two NASA awards honoring their accomplishments building and delivering the spacecraft's propulsion module.
People wearing bunny suits in a cleanroom look up at a massive metal cylinder, the Europa Clipper propulsion module
Jun 7, 2022

Johns Hopkins APL Delivers Propulsion Module for NASA Mission to Europa

After years of design and construction, two cross-country trips and thousands of hours of labor, APL has delivered NASA's Europa Clipper propulsion module — the spacecraft's “workhorse" — and its radio frequency module to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for integration with the remainder of the spacecraft.
Artist's impression of a spacecraft crossing in front of shadowed Mars
Mar 18, 2021

Johns Hopkins APL Technology Helps Mars Mission Phone Home

The Emirates Mars Mission, also known as “Hope,” stays connected to its operators on Earth using a novel radio provided by APL.