The Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government responsible for the development of new technology for the military. ARPA was created in 1958 in response to the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik, which signaled their lead in the Space Race. ARPA’s mission is to ensure that America remains at the forefront of technological innovation by funding high-risk, high-reward research and development projects with a focus on national security.
ARPA has been responsible for some major breakthroughs in technology, including GPS, stealth aircraft technology, and computer networking (which led to the creation of the Internet). Today, ARPA continues to fund cutting-edge research across a wide range of fields with potential military applications. These include artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and biotechnology.
While ARPA’s work is primarily focused on developing technologies for use by the military, many of its inventions have had civilian applications as well. GPS navigation systems are now used extensively by civilians all over the world; computer networking has transformed how we communicate and do business, and medical imaging techniques developed by ARPA have saved countless lives.