DARPA

DARPA stands for defense advanced research project agency. Its main goal and responsibility were developing new weaponry to be used by the military in future wars. It was originally created in February 1958 by President Eisenhower during the Space Race in response to their first launch of Sputnik. Its current mission statement is "to make pivotal investments in breakthrough technologies for national security." When NASA came into play, the original funding for this program had been shifted towards NASA, so in order for DARPA to stay active, the organization decided to make their research more high-risked, high-gain, and far out research to prove its usefulness compared to the more popular NASA. The research expanded from being just military-based to more of of the national security needs.

Here are their current active projects.

• Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System (ARES, formerly TX): Cargo carrying UAV.
• ACTUV: A project to build an unmanned Anti-submarine warfare vessel.
• Air Dominance Initiative: Developmental technologies to be used in sixth-generation jet fighters.
• Big Mechanism: Cancer research.
• BlockADE: Rapidly constructed barrier.
• Boeing X-37
• Captive Air Amphibious Transporter
• Clean-Slate Design of Resilient, Adaptive, Secure Hosts (CRASH), a TCTO initiative
• Cognitive Technology Threat Warning System
• Collaborative Operations in Denied Environment (CODE): Modular software architecture for UAVs to pass information to each other in contested environments to identify and engage targets with limited operator direction.
• Combat Zones That See: "track everything that moves" in a city by linking up a massive network of surveillance cameras
• Computational Weapon Optic (CWO): Computer rifle scope that combines various features into one optic.
• DARPA GXV-T
• DARPA XG: technology for Dynamic Spectrum Access for assured military communications
• Experimental Spaceplane 1 (XS-1): first stage of a reusable space transport
• Gremlins: Air-launched and recoverable UAVs with distributed capabilities to provide low-cost flexibility over expensive multirole platforms.
• Ground X-Vehicle Technology
• Force Application and Launch from Continental United States (FALCON): a research effort within TTO to develop a small satellite launch vehicle.[41] This vehicle is under development by AirLaunch LLC.
• Fast Lightweight Autonomy: Software algorithms that enable small UAVs to fly fast in cluttered environments without GPS or external communications.
• High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System
• High Productivity Computing Systems
• Hydra: Undersea network of mobile unmanned sensors.
• Integrated Sensor is Structure
• MEMS Exchange: Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) Implementation Environment
• Near Zero Power RF and Sensor Operations (N-ZERO): Reducing or eliminating the standby power unattended ground sensors consume.
• Persistent Close Air Support
• Protein Design: Processes
• QuASAR: Quantum Assisted Sensing and Readout
• QuBE: Quantum Effects in Biological Environments
• QUIST: Quantum Information Science and Technology
• QUEST: Quantum Entanglement Science and Technology
• Quiness: Macroscopic Quantum Communications
• Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites program: a telerobotic and autonomous robotic satellite-servicing project, conceived in 2017, and planned for launch no earlier than the 2020s.
• Remote-controlled insects
• SafeGenes: a synthetic biology project to program "undo" sequences into gene editing programs 
• Satellite Remote Listening System: a satellite mounted system that can eavesdrop on a targeted area on the surface of the planet in coordination with satellite cameras. This project is in its infant stage.
• Sensor plants: DARPA "is working on a plan to use plants to gather intelligence information" through DARPA’s Advanced Plant Technologies (APT) program, which aims to control the physiology of plants in order to detect chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.
• System of Systems Integration Technology and Experimentation (SoSITE): Combinations of aircraft, weapons, sensors, and mission systems that distribute air warfare capabilities across a large number of interoperable manned and unmanned platforms.
• Squad X Core Technologies (SXCT): Digitized, integrated technologies that improve infantry squads' awareness, precision, and influence.
• SyNAPSE: Systems of Neuromorphic Adaptive Plastic Scalable Electronics
• SIGMA: A network of radiological detection devices the size of smart phones that can detect small amounts of radioactive materials. The devices are paired with larger detector devices along major roads and bridges.
• Tactical Boost Glide (TBG): Air-launched hypersonic boost glide missile under development.
• Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node: Ship-based long-range ISR UAV.
• UAVForge
• Upward Falling Payloads: Payloads stored on the ocean floor that can be activated and retrieved when needed.
• ULTRA-Vis (Urban Leader Tactical Response, Awareness and Visualization): Heads-up display for individual soldiers.
• VTOL X-Plane[69]
• Warrior Web: Soft exosuit to alleviate musculoskeletal stress on soldiers when carrying heavy loads.
• XDATA: Processing and analyzing vast amounts of information.
• Neural implants for soldiers.
• AGM-158C LRASM: Anti-ship cruise missile.
• HIVE (Hierarchical Identify Verify Exploit) CPU architecture.