Polaris Intelligence
Polaris
Intelligence
AboutNational IntelligenceOrganizationsProductsMissionsSpacecraftConstellationsForecastsLatest Information
Explore
© Polaris Intelligence 2026Admin

Air Force Research Lab (AFRL)

US
gov defense
United States
Admin Edit

All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.

The Space and Missile Systems Center is partnering with the Air Force Research Laboratory and other mission partners on experiments, small satellites, and prototypes to develop new concepts.

Mentioned as: Air Force Research LaboratoryOrg RelationshipAug 5, 2020U.S. military space architecture to bring in commercial systems, small satellites

The Air Force Research Laboratory signed an agreement with ABL that allows the company to test hardware at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

Mentioned as: Air Force Research LaboratoryTechnical ProductAug 3, 2020Small launch startup ABL secures over $90 million in new funding and Air Force contracts

Once deployed, NTS-3 will be operated by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate.

Mentioned as: Air Force Research LaboratoryOrg RelationshipJul 31, 2020L3Harris cleared to begin production of Air Force NTS-3 navigation satellite

York Space Systems and Metropolitan State University of Denver were awarded a Small Business Technology Transfer study contract by the Air Force Research Laboratory on 2020-06-23.

Mentioned as: Air Force Research Lab (AFRL)Org RelationshipJun 23, 2020US Air Force Awards York Space Systems and MSU Denver Contract to Further Space Innovation

The Air Force Research Laboratory will launch in 2021 a small satellite equipped with a Link 16 military communications terminal that will operate in low Earth orbit.

Mentioned as: Air Force Research Lab (AFRL)Org RelationshipJun 19, 2020Planting the seeds of technology for the future Space Force

AFRL will launch an experimental cubesat next spring equipped with a Link 16 encrypted radio frequency data link widely used by U.S. military and NATO aircraft and ground vehicles.

Mentioned as: AFRLOrg RelationshipJun 4, 2020Space Force thinking about NASA-style partnerships with private companies

Roccor is working with BluFlux to complete environmental testing of a helical L-band antenna for XVI, an Air Force Research Laboratory program to demonstrate communications relay with a Link 16 terminal on a small satellite.

Mentioned as: Air Force Research Lab (AFRL)Org RelationshipMay 26, 2020Roccor completes key tests of Link 16 satellite antenna

Roccor developed the antenna boom under a 2017 Air Force Research Laboratory Small Business Innovation Research contract.

Mentioned as: Air Force Research Lab (AFRL)Org RelationshipMay 26, 2020Roccor completes key tests of Link 16 satellite antenna

Participants in the 2020-05-04-7 conference workshop included officials from the Defense Innovation Unit, the Air Force Research Laboratory, the U.S. Space Force, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the National Space Council, NASA, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Energy, academia, and the private sector.

Mentioned as: Air Force Research Lab (AFRL)NoiseMay 11, 2020National security space conference to propose plan to boost industrial base

The Defense Innovation Unit, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the U.S. Space Force led the four-day State of the Space Industrial Base 2020 program.

Mentioned as: Air Force Research LaboratoryTechnical ProductMay 11, 2020National security space conference to propose plan to boost industrial base

FalconSat-8 is a small satellite developed by the U.S. Air Force Academy and funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory.

Mentioned as: Air Force Research Lab (AFRL)Narrative GeneralMay 6, 2020X-37B spaceplane to carry DoD and NASA experiments in upcoming mission

The Electron rocket tested at LC-2 will be used for the launch of Monolith, an Air Force Research Laboratory smallsat intended to demonstrate the ability to deploy a large-aperture payload for space weather monitoring.

Mentioned as: Air Force Research LaboratoryOrg RelationshipApr 30, 2020Rocket Lab tests Electron on new Virginia launch pad

Numerica provides space data and analytics services to the U.S. military under multiple contracts from the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Space and Missile Systems Center, and the Defense Innovation Unit.

Mentioned as: Air Force Research LaboratoryOrg RelationshipApr 9, 2020Numerica expands space surveillance services aimed at satellite operators

The Air Force Research Laboratory plans to launch NTS-3 in 2022.

Mentioned as: Air Force Research Lab (AFRL)Org RelationshipFeb 5, 2020Air Force gives nod to L3Harris to continue development of NTS-3 navigation satellite

On 2020-01-09 the Air Force Research Laboratory said it had signed a CRADA last July with ABL Space Systems covering development and testing of rocket propulsion systems.

Mentioned as: Air Force Research Lab (AFRL)Org RelationshipFeb 2, 2020Blue Origin to test lunar lander engine at Air Force lab

The Air Force Research Laboratory and Blue Origin signed a 15-year cooperative research and development agreement on 2019-12-11 covering testing of Blue Origin’s BE-7 engine.

Mentioned as: the air force research laboratoryOrg RelationshipFeb 2, 2020Blue Origin to test lunar lander engine at Air Force lab

Blue Origin will perform tests of the BE-7 engine at a U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory test site.

Mentioned as: U.S. Air Force Research LaboratoryOrg RelationshipFeb 2, 2020Blue Origin to test lunar lander engine at Air Force lab

The Air Force awarded a $5,000,000 contract to Applied Technology Associates of Paso Robles, California to assemble the Compact Environmental Anomaly Sensor 3 developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory.

Mentioned as: Air Force Research Lab (AFRL)Org RelationshipJan 29, 2020Air Force taps Applied Technology Associates and Teledyne Brown to produce space weather sensors

Prox-1 was built by the Georgia Institute of Technology with funding from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s University Nanosatellite Program.

Mentioned as: U.S. Air Force Research LaboratoryOrg RelationshipJan 23, 2020Tethers Unlimited says early results of deorbit hardware test promising

AFRL did not disclose the 2019-07-10 CRADA with ABL Space Systems until 2020-01-09 at ABL Space Systems’ request.

Mentioned as: Air Force Research Lab (AFRL)Narrative GeneralJan 9, 2020Small launch startup ABL Space Systems to test rocket hardware at Edwards Air Force Base
Page21of23