The U.S. Air Force (USAF) plays a significant role in the space industry, historically serving as the Department of Defense's executive agent for space, and developing early military space programs and launch vehicles. Although the U.S. Space Force was established as an independent branch in 2019, the Air Force continues to contribute to space operations, including training personnel, research and development, and maintaining partnerships. The USAF's space-related activities encompass satellite operations, missile warning, communication support, and collaboration with allies to ensure regional stability. Key partners include the U.S. Space Force, other branches of the military, and international allies.
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The Department of the Air Force began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018.
The Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) was initiated by the Air Force in late 1963.
MOL/DORIAN would be launched atop a Titan IIIM rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Marcus Wandt is a Swedish former air force officer who was selected as a reserve member of ESA’s astronaut corps in November 2022.
The Atlas 5 carrying NROL-107 lifted off at 8:47 a.m. Eastern from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Space Systems Command is headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California and is the U.S. Space Force field command responsible for acquiring and delivering resilient warfighting capabilities in and from space.
A similar film readout system tested by a US Air Force Samos reconnaissance satellite in 1961 was eventually transferred to NASA.
Testing of Link 16 payloads also requires authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration to transmit Link 16 signals in national airspace over a test site at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
Northrop Grumman maintained the sensors for the past five years under an $866,000,000 contract awarded by the U.S. Air Force in June 2018.
The U.S. Air Force designed and built the radar sites during the Cold War primarily to detect and track intercontinental ballistic missiles and sea-launched ballistic missiles while also conducting general space surveillance and satellite tracking.
In 2021, the Air Force and Space Force planned to work with the U.S. intelligence community to pursue a space-based target tracking capability intended to replace JSTARS.
The U.S. Air Force awarded Umbra a $1,250,000 contract to demonstrate the capabilities of space-based radar sensors to track moving ground targets.
The Air Force will work with Umbra on space-based moving target indication under a Small Business Innovation Research Phase 2 contract dated 2023-08-22.
The Department of the Air Force began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018.
GSSAP 2 was one of six Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program satellites built by Northrop Grumman that the U.S. Air Force began launching in 2014.
The Department of the Air Force (DAF) began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 to expand the range of innovations the DAF funds.
The Department of the Air Force began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018, which expanded the range of innovations eligible for DAF funding.
The Department of the Air Force began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018.
GA-ASI demonstrated Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) using the U.S. Air Force’s Project FoX system, which included a touchscreen tablet for fighter cockpits.
Starfish Space secured $1,800,000 from the U.S. Air Force’s AFWERX technology accelerator to develop its satellite guidance software.