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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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Lunar Science and Exploration

Probing our nearest Celestial Neighbor

Formed from the cataclysmic collision of young Earth with a Mars-sized rock, the Moon holds many secrets about the solar system’s history and can serve as the next launch pad for human space exploration.

APL's lunar experts study everything from how craters form to how volatile molecules such as hydrogen are distributed around the Moon. They study the chemical composition, weathering, geology and volcanic history of the Moon and help to lead several instruments on NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) – including cameras that have imaged the Moon in unprecedented detail, and the Mini-RF instruments that use radar to provide critical information about volatile molecules on the lunar surface. APL also operates the Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium (LSIC), which connects experts from academia, industry and government to shape the technologies and systems needed to explore the Moon in new ways.

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 Lunar Vertex
Lunar Swirls

Lunar Vertex

Lunar Vertex will be the first mission to carry out a comprehensive study of lunar magnetic anomaly and the associated swirl and mini-magnetosphere.

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 Vector Magnetometers
A light-shaded swirl on the Moon's surface

Vector Magnetometers

Mission

Lunar Vertex

Destinations

Moon
A small rover that will explore as much as 2 kilometers (just over a mile) of one of the Moon's most famous magnetic "swirls."

Initiatives

While APL may be known for engaging is space-firsts and building first-of-its-kind spacecraft that deflect asteroids or touch the sun, it also has a deep knowledge base of science and engineering experts who provide critical contributions to critical challenges. Through initiatives like Planetary Defense, Heliophysics and Space Weather, and Cislunar Operations, Space@APL is able to deliver game-changning impacts for civil and national security.

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.

A photo of planetary geologist Brett Denevi
Dec 5, 2023

Johns Hopkins APL Space Scientist Denevi Earns NASA Solar System Exploration Award

APL planetary geologist Brett Deveni has earned the NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute's Angioletta Coradini Award for her research accomplishments.
A photo from space shows the Moon rising over the curvature of the blue Earth. Clouds in the sky show at the foreground of the picture
Dec 5, 2023

Five Ways Johns Hopkins APL Is Advancing Lunar Science, Security and Technology

The scientific, economic and national security value of the Moon and its surrounding space has kicked off an era of intense international cooperation and competition. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, leveraging its broad and distinguished base of experts, is making advancements that will keep the nation at the forefront in the development and exploration of the region.
An illustration shows astronauts on the lunar surface, with two examining a rock, a rover with its lights on, a lander in the background, and two other astronauts examining the ground with flashlights
Oct 11, 2023

Johns Hopkins APL Teaming With DARPA to Accelerate Interoperability Standards for Commercial Lunar Infrastructure

Johns Hopkins APL is applying its expertise in lunar science and technology to a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) initiative to identify and propose interoperating standards for commercial infrastructure on the Moon.