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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KBR won a $39,500,000 contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory in January to analyze the effects of natural and manufactured threats to spacecraft, payloads, and space services.
The Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate established the Catalyst Accelerator in 2018 to support small businesses with commercial and military applications.
AFWERX, an innovation program managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory, awards more than 1,000 Small Business Innovation Research contracts annually.
L3Harris won an $84,000,000 contract from AFRL in 2018 to build NTS-3.
NTS-3 was initially evaluated for placement in medium Earth orbit (MEO) before AFRL decided GEO would be a better location to assess multi-orbit PNT architecture benefits.
Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3) is funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).
The Air Force Research Laboratory awarded SpaceX a $102,000,000 contract to study ways the military could use SpaceX launch vehicles to transport cargo and crews point to point on Earth.
Terran Orbital expects to deliver a satellite with six electro-optical payloads to support weather observations for the Air Force Research Laboratory in 2022.
AFRL intends to develop CHPS capabilities to detect, track, and identify objects operating at lunar distances and beyond, a range of 385,0 m.
Viasat is working with the Air Force Research Laboratory under a seven-year $50,800,000 contract to develop concepts for hybrid networks of commercial satcom and government-owned satellites.
PredaSAR Corporation, a Terran Orbital subsidiary, was awarded a $2,000,000 contract by the U.S. Space Systems Command in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory to support an on-orbit cooperative demonstration between the PredaSAR and Blackjack constellations.
Phase Four is performing thrust measurements with its Maxwell engine adapted to operate on iodine under an Air Force Research Laboratory–sponsored program.
One of the use cases sought by AFRL is providing satellite communications for the Arctic region above 55 degrees latitude.
HawkEye 360 has a three-year, $15,500,000 Experimental Purpose Agreement contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate.
Colonel Eric Felt has led the AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, since July 2018.
The Air Force Research Laboratory announced Colonel Eric Felt’s move on 2022-01-18.
GEARRS-3 is the third cubesat launched in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory and U.S. Space Systems Command’s Space Test Program (STP-3) to test experimental satellite-to-satellite communication systems and tracking.
The Globalstar Evaluation and Risk-Reduction Satellite (GEARRS) 3 is a three-unit cubesat from the Air Force Research Laboratory to test communications with the Globalstar satellite network using a patch antenna on the satellite’s exterior.
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory contracted OneWeb last year to demonstrate managed satellite communications services in strategic Arctic locations using gateways including OneWeb’s site in Svalbard.
HawkEye 360 Inc. was awarded a three-year, $15,500,000 Experimental Purpose Agreement (EPA) contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate.