Archived articles

Outer space

Two scientists work on a spacecraft instrument while team members conference in over Zoom
Space exploration
Despite pandemic, APL propels space missions forward
Published July 22, 2020
While APL researchers and engineers adapt to work remotely as much as possible during the outbreak of coronavirus, pockets of the Lab have no choice to but to move projects ahead
Surface of Pluto
10 cool things we've learned about Pluto
Published July 21, 2020
Five years after the historic New Horizons flyby of Pluto, scientists have learned that the planet is far from an inert ball of ice and is one of the most geologically active and exciting places in the solar system
Image of stars
Astronomy
Study: Dying stars breathe life into Earth
Published July 14, 2020
Researchers discover new evidence of how carbon emitted from distant dying stars contribute to the delivery of the vital element to other parts of the galaxy
A man uses gloves in a protective box while a woman looks on
Study examines role of sulfur in planetary atmospheres
Published April 7, 2020
Simulations reveal that sulfur can significantly affect observations of far-flung planets beyond the solar system
Artist's rendering of Dragonfly rotorcraft in a hilly dune
Space
Destination Titan
Published Spring 2020
APL's Dragonfly spacecraft will travel to Saturn's enigmatic moon to explore an ocean world like no other / Johns Hopkins Magazine
Solar wind, as captured by the WISPR instrument aboard the Parker Solar Probe
Parker Solar Probe
Behind howls of solar wind, quiet chirps reveal its origins
Published Jan 15, 2020
Small chirps, squeaks, and rustles recorded by the Parker Solar Probe hint at the origin of mysterious solar wind
Two researchers hold dark-pigmented material
Microbiology
Mission will put melanin's superpower to the test
Published Nov 1, 2019
Melanin samples are headed to the International Space Station, where their ability to protect against harmful radiation will be explored
Gary Whitworth
Picture perfect
How APL helped the world see the first man on the moon
Published July 19, 2019 Video
As a young engineer at APL, Gary Whitworth played a pivotal role in improving the broadcast image of Neil Arstrong's first steps on the moon
Buzz Aldrin walks on the moon in 1969
Hopkins retrospective
Moon landing memories
Published July 19, 2019
As the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing approaches, Johns Hopkins faculty members who watched the momentous event live recall on what it meant to them, and to science
Artist's rendering of Dragonfly rotorcraft in a hilly dune
Outer space
Destination: Titan
Published June 27, 2019
NASA will send 'cutting-edge' APL-led mission to study Saturn's large, exotic moon