Draper

Draper is an independent, nonprofit engineering and research laboratory in Cambridge’s Kendall Square that designs, develops and deploys advanced technology for government, industry and academic clients. Its engineers, scientists and technicians work across security, space, energy and healthcare, taking a concept all the way to a field-ready prototype or combining existing technologies in new ways. Its main areas are biotechnology systems, electronic systems, strategic systems and space systems, with much of the work supporting national defense.

The organization began as MIT’s Instrumentation Laboratory, founded by Charles Stark Draper, and became independent of MIT in 1973. It is best known for developing the guidance and navigation systems that took the Apollo astronauts to the Moon. Today its teams draw on 14 core capabilities to build systems for use in space, in the air, in cyberspace, on land, at sea and undersea, and within the human body, working as prime contractors, subcontractors or members of research consortia.

What to Know

• A public exhibit in the Draper atrium covers national security, Apollo-era lunar exploration and biomedical technology, open weekly.
• Tours can be arranged through Draper’s archivist.
• The Draper Scholars program supports more than 150 graduate students.
• Draper has marked 50 years in Technology Square and has broken ground on a new microelectronics building in Lowell.
• The company holds CMMC Level 2 certification.