Naval Research Laboratory News

Science Director Named 2025 Office of Naval Research Global Technical Employee of the Year

Nicholas E. M. Pasquini, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:28:00 GMT

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Research Engineer Joel Goodman, Ph.D., was named the 2025 Office of Naval Research (ONR) Global Technical Employee of the Year and awarded the Department of the Navy Civilian Service Achievement Medal for his leadership, technical excellence, and sustained contributions to high-impact international research initiatives supporting U.S. Navy science and technology priorities.

2025 Naval Research Laboratory Year in Review

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 16:36:12 GMT

In 2025, scientists and engineers at NRL pushed the boundaries of what is possible, launching new instruments into space, advancing breakthrough technologies in the lab, and delivering capabilities that directly strengthen naval readiness and national security. From the sea floor to the far reaches of space, NRL’s research this year translated discovery into real-world impact for the Fleet and the Nation.

Naval Research Lab Honored for Electromagnetic Excellence

Emily Winget, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s (NRL) Spectrum Collaboration and Demonstration Team has been awarded the 2025 U.S. Navy - U.S. Marine Corps Electromagnetic Spectrum Team Excellence Award at WEST 2026 in San Diego, Calif., Feb. 9.

Naval Research Laboratory Study Uses Neutron Scattering to Clarify Magnetic Behavior in Altermagnetic Material

Jameson Crabtree, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 17:43:55 GMT

Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have identified the true source of a magnetic effect seen in the material ruthenium dioxide (RuO₂), helping resolve an active debate in the rapidly growing field of altermagnetism. The research was published by the American Chemical Society.

VLITE Marks 11 Years of Listening to a Changing Radio Sky

Jameson Crabtree, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

For 11 years, the VLA Low-band Ionosphere and Transient Experiment, known as VLITE, has quietly recorded the low-frequency radio sky every time the National Science Foundation’s Very Large Array (VLA) observes.

A Physicist’s Legacy: Serving Over Four Decades

Nicholas E. M. Pasquini, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 16:55:00 GMT

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Associate Director of Research Dr. Gerald M. Borsuk, SES, retired in early January 2026 after more than four decades of distinguished federal service advancing the Navy’s science and technology program.

Internships Connect Students Directly to Mission-Driven Science and Technology

Jameson Crabtree, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 13:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is offering students at every stage, from high school through graduate school, the opportunity to contribute to cutting edge research that supports national security and advances scientific discovery through its internship and fellowship programs.

From Baseball Pitcher to Navy Medicine’s Biochemistry Officer of the Year

Nicholas E. M. Pasquini, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:55:00 GMT

From the pitcher’s mound to the front lines of naval science, Lt. Cmdr. Elih M. Velazquez-Delgado’s unconventional path has culminated in one of Navy Medicine’s highest honors.

Breakthroughs in Testing Solid-Fuel Ramjets Advance Research

Jameson Crabtree, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 14:45:00 GMT

Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory are developing the next generation of solid-fuel ramjet (SFRJ) propulsion, addressing one of the field’s most persistent challenges: understanding and predicting what happens inside an operating combustor

Naval Research Lab Space Station Study Reveals Key Challenges and Opportunities for Microbial Biomanufacturing in Space

Jameson Crabtree, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have completed a spaceflight biology investigation aboard the International Space Station (ISS) that reveals how microgravity fundamentally alters microbial metabolism, limiting the efficiency of biological manufacturing processes critical to future long-duration space missions. The findings were recently published in the journal npj Microgravity.

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Advances Laser Technology for Fusion Energy Applications Through BETHE Program

Jameson Crabtree, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Scientists in the Plasma Division at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) are building on a multi-year research effort that demonstrated the potential of an advanced laser technology that could help enable future inertial fusion energy power plants.

Naval Research Lab Sharpens Navy’s Sights with a Domain-Centric Path for Smarter Sensing

Nicholas E. M. Pasquini, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 14:23:00 GMT

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) launched a remote sensing experiment to sharpen artificial intelligence (AI) applications in hyperspectral imaging across the Department of the Navy and broader scientific community.

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Confirms First Known Triple Radio Active Galactic Nucleus

Jameson Crabtree — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and collaborating institutions have confirmed the first-known case of three radio-emitting active galactic nuclei (AGN) within a single ongoing galaxy merger.

Naval Research Lab Diver Earns Office of Naval Research 2025 Sailor of the Year

Nicholas E. M. Pasquini, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 20:01:00 GMT

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) named U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Petty Officer 1st Class and Navy Diver Mitchell Apgar as the 2025 ONR Sailor of the Year (SOY).

Naval Research Laboratory Engineer Receives Prestigious Department of the Navy Award

Nicholas E. M. Pasquini, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 12:48:52 GMT

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Engineer Shannon McGarry, Ph.D., received the Department of the Navy (DON) 2025 G. Dennis White Early Career Human Systems Integration (HSI) Practitioner Award for contributions and unwavering commitment embodying the essential qualities critical to the advancement of the HSI discipline, ensuring the safety and effectiveness of systems delivered to our warfighters.

Naval Research Laboratory Scientists Uncover Electric Field Link That Triggers Magnetic Reconnection in Space

Jameson Crabtree, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have identified a previously overlooked electric field mechanism in Earth’s magnetotail that could help predict when disruptive space weather events are about to occur.

NRL’s Satellite Operations Service is Ready for the Space Force Enterprise

Nicholas E. M. Pasquini, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 17:53:00 GMT

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Spacecraft Engineering Department recently developed the Transmit/Receive Enterprise (TREx) service with sponsorship from the Space Development Agency, Space Rapid Capabilities Office, and Space Systems Command to provide software development and mission operations for sponsoring organizations across the space community.

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Develops Anatomically Accurate Rat Brain Phantom for Traumatic Brain Injury Research

Jameson Crabtree — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), in collaboration with Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), have developed the first anatomically accurate rat brain phantom capable of measuring traumatic brain injury (TBI) impacts in real time. The breakthrough model replicates the mechanical properties of brain tissue while embedding a piezoelectric sensor that converts impact forces directly into measurable electrical signals, offering unprecedented insight into how blast waves and impacts propagate through the brain.

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Wins Best Paper Award at International Space Robotics Conference

Emily Winget, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 12:51:00 GMT

A U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s (NRL) space robotics team received the Best Paper Award in Orbital Robotics at the 2025 International Conference on Space Robotics (iSpaRo) in Sendai, Japan, on Dec. 3. The recognition spotlights NRL’s leadership in autonomous space systems and artificial intelligence–enabled operations.

NRL’s LASCO Marks 30 Years Transforming Solar Science and Strengthening National Security

Emily Winget — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 21:41:00 GMT

At 0808 on Dec. 2, 1995, the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA’s joint Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite launched from NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fl. Among the 15 instruments aboard the spacecraft was the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s (NRL) Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO).