; Whereas APL developed a system called SATRACK to ensure the accuracy of the Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missiles and confidently estimate missile accuracy anywhere in the world; Whereas APL proposed, developed, built, and operated a number of the most innovative low-cost planetary science missions of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, including— (1) the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (commonly known as NEAR ) mission in 2001, the first mission to orbit an asteroid; (2) the MESSENGER Mercury orbiter, launched in 2004; and (3) New Horizons, which launched in 2006 and completed a historic flyby of Pluto in 2015; Whereas APL has been responsible for hundreds of significant contributions to the most critical challenges faced by the United States with respect to national security and space exploration; and Whereas the sustained commitment by APL to the United States and the Federal Government sponsors of APL allowed APL— (1) to continuously provide significant contributions to critical challenges with respect to systems engineering and integration, technology research and development, and analysis; and (2) to serve as the most comprehensive University Affiliated Research Center in the United States: Now, therefore, be it