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 Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to expand the pool of potential SBIR/STTR applicants by increasing opportunities for small businesses.
iRocket signed a $1,800,000 contract with the U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command funded through AFWERX and the Air Force Research Laboratory Technology Directorate.
Busek's flight heritage includes products developed for AFRL TacSat-2, USAFA FalconSat-3, FalconSat-5, and NASA/ESA LISA Pathfinder.
The Air Force Research Laboratory project is focused on providing 24-7 persistent command and control capabilities to LEO spacecraft by utilizing GEO constellations that are always in view of ground stations.
Viasat received a $10,000,000 task order from the Air Force Research Laboratory for the Viasat-3 space terminal.
The Air Force Research Laboratory will use the Viasat-3 space terminal for high data rate LEO-to-GEO communications.
The $10,000,000 task order is part of a seven-year contract worth up to $50,000,000 that the Air Force Research Laboratory awarded Viasat in 2020 for satellite communications technologies and services.
Viasat plans the AFRL mission to be the first pathfinder demonstration of the company’s space relay service expected to become available in late 2025.
Under the ARBALEST program, Viasat will provide AFRL with a Ka-band space relay payload for integration into a spacecraft for the future AFRL mission.
The Air Force Research Laboratory is supporting development of Arroway, a reusable liquid oxygen and methane staged-combustion engine introduced in August 2022 for medium and heavy launch vehicles that is expected to hotfire in 2025 to support next-generation heavy launch.
Viasat will provide a Ka-band space relay payload to AFRL for integration into a spacecraft under the ARBALEST program.
Viasat will provide AFRL with a Ka-band space relay payload for integration into a spacecraft for the AFRL ARBALEST mission.
The AFRL-led ARBALEST mission will demonstrate real-time, global connectivity between DoD low Earth orbit spacecraft and commercial geostationary satellites.
The Air Force Research Laboratory works with defense contractors and commercial satcom providers under DEUCSI to integrate commercial space internet services with military platforms and weapon systems.
The Air Force Research Laboratory awarded Northrop Grumman a contract worth $80,300,000 to conduct communications experiments using multiple commercial space internet services.
The contract awarded to Northrop Grumman is part of the Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet (DEUCSI) program run by the Air Force Research Laboratory.
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory awarded L3Harris Technologies a contract worth $80,800,000 to conduct communications experiments using multiple commercial space internet services.
Under the U.S. Air Force Tactical Funding Increase program last August, Ursa Major and AFRL had a contract to qualify the 5,000-pound-thrust oxygen-rich staged-combustion Hadley rocket engine for future Department of Defense missions.
Under the AFRL contract, Ursa Major will further develop its 200,000-pound-thrust Arroway engine for space launch.
The contract to Exosonic was awarded under the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Small Business Innovation Research program.