The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is the primary research and development center for the Department of the Air Force, playing a key role in developing warfighting technologies for air, space, and cyberspace. As an integrated lab, AFRL supports both the Air Force and the Space Force, providing solutions ranging from satellites and rocket fuel to advanced materials and manufacturing processes. AFRL partners with organizations like NASA, other government agencies, academia, and industry to conduct research, develop technologies, and test new concepts for space-based capabilities, including space weather observation and data transport. Key areas of focus include space vehicles, rocket propulsion, directed energy, and advanced materials for aerospace systems.
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The 2023 Hyperspace Challenge accelerator is funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the SpaceWERX office.
The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the SBIR and STTR process by accelerating proposal-to-award timelines, expanding opportunities to small businesses, and implementing process improvements to reduce bureaucratic overhead in contract execution.
The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the SBIR and STTR process by accelerating proposal-to-award timelines, expanding the pool of potential applicants, and implementing process improvements in contract execution to reduce bureaucratic overhead.
Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, was awarded a $36,000,000 contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to develop and demonstrate a platform-agnostic, Beyond-Line-Of-Sight (BLOS) SATCOM pod.
Benchmark Space Systems designed, developed, and tested SmartAIM in part with funding and research and development support from the Air Force Research Laboratory.
Xona Space Systems partnered with the Air Force Research Laboratory and the U.S. Space Force to work toward a secure Low Earth Orbit Positioning, Navigation and Timing architecture leveraging Xona’s PULSAR service.
AFRL locations and resources will be used to establish a capable testing site to support maturation of iRocket's engine technology.
Xona Space Systems partnered with the Air Force Research Laboratory and the U.S. Space Force to work toward a secure Low Earth Orbit Positioning, Navigation and Timing architecture leveraging Xona's PULSAR service.
Members from AFRL’s Rocket Propulsion Division at Edwards Air Force Base and iRocket agreed to a collaborative effort on the CRADA in June 2023.
The Air Force Research Laboratory is supporting development of Arroway, a reusable liquid oxygen and methane staged combustion engine for medium and heavy launch vehicles expected to hotfire in 2025.
The CRADA between iRocket and AFRL is expected to create hundreds of new high-paying engineering jobs at the High Thrust Research Facility at Edwards Air Force Base.
Innovative Rocket Technologies (iRocket) signed an agreement with the Air Force Research Laboratory to jointly develop and test rocket propulsion hardware.
Xona Space Systems partnered with the U.S. Space Force's Space Warfighting Analysis Center and the AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate to integrate PULSAR into the U.S. national security space architecture.
iRocket signed a four-year cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with AFRL’s Rocket Propulsion Division on 2023-08-02.
The CRADA includes use of an Air Force facility, equipment, and AFRL expertise to enable both sides to develop, build, test, and transition U.S. rocket engines at a fast pace.
iRocket signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the Air Force Research Laboratory West in June 2023 to develop engines and stage technology for its next-generation fully reusable Shockwave launch vehicle.
AFRL awarded Advanced Space a $72,000,000 contract in November to develop a spacecraft for the Oracle mission.
AFRL uses the term XGEO to refer to outer space beyond geosynchronous orbit out to the Moon.
Advanced Space won a $72,000,000 contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory in November 2022 to develop a smallsat previously known as the Cislunar Highway Patrol System.
The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating proposal-to-award timelines, expanding the pool of potential applicants to more small businesses, and eliminating bureaucratic overhead through ongoing process improvements in contract execution.