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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AFRL’s $17,800,000 contract covers a portion of the government’s share of X-Bow Systems’ $60,000,000 STRATFI agreement.
In November, AFRL awarded a $72,000,000 contract to Advanced Space to develop the Oracle spacecraft.
AFRL intends Oracle to demonstrate tracking of debris, rocket bodies, and other cislunar objects that currently are not monitored and to provide position updates on spacecraft operating near the Moon or other regions that are difficult to observe from Earth.
On 2023-09-15, AFRL set an anticipated 2026 delivery and a 2027 launch for the Oracle experiment.
The deep-space experiment is led by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate and was previously known as the Cislunar Highway Patrol System (CHPS) before being renamed Oracle.
The Air Force Research Laboratory delayed an experiment to monitor deep space that was planned for launch in 2025.
Under a $5,100,000 Air Force Research Laboratory award, Rubicon will manufacture 10 one-newton thrusters and qualify the thrusters for spaceflight.
Rubicon Space Systems won a series of contracts with a combined value of about $6,000,000 to deliver ASCENT thrusters to NASA and the Air Force Research Laboratory in 2024.
Benchmark Space Systems received a two-year, $2,810,000 AFRL SPRINT award to develop and test flight-optimized thrusters running on ASCENT fuel.
Benchmark is building a flight-like 22 Newton thruster to perform advanced ASCENT hot-fire demonstrations under the AFRL-funded program.
Benchmark Space Systems received a two-year, $2,810,000 Air Force Research Laboratory SPRINT award to further develop and test flight-optimized thrusters running on ASCENT fuel.
Benchmark Space Systems will deliver a preliminary design of a 100 Newton thruster assembly in 2025 as part of the AFRL-funded ASCENT program.
Benchmark Space Systems is building a flight-like, 22 Newton thruster to perform advanced ASCENT hot-fire demonstrations under the AFRL-funded program.
The United States Space Force partnered with the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Universities Space Research Association for the University Consortium Research Opportunity 2.0/Space Strategic Technology Institute 1 selections.
The two-year AFRL award to Benchmark Space Systems was announced 2023-08-29.
Benchmark Space Systems won a $2,810,000 U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory contract to continue development and testing of thrusters running on Advanced Spacecraft Energetic Non-Toxic (ASCENT) fuel.
Benchmark Space Systems received a two-year, $2,810,000 AFRL SPRINT award to further develop and test flight-optimized thrusters running on ASCENT fuel.
Under the AFRL-funded program, Benchmark Space Systems is building a 22 Newton thruster for ASCENT hot-fire demonstrations.
Sedaro was awarded a Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) through the AFWERX technology directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to develop enhanced In-space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) capabilities in the Sedaro platform.
The AFRL and AFWERX partnership intends to change the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small businesses.