Air Force Research Laboratory

Last updated

Air Force Research Laboratory
Air Force Research Laboratory.png
Air Force Research Laboratory – Emblem
ActiveOctober 1997–present
CountryUnited States
BranchFlag of the United States Air Force.svg  United States Air Force
Flag of the United States Space Force.svg  United States Space Force
TypeResearch and development
Size4,200 civilian
1,200 military
Part of Air Force Materiel Command
Garrison/HQ Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
39°49′23″N084°02′58″W / 39.82306°N 84.04944°W / 39.82306; -84.04944
Decorations AFOEA
Website www.afrl.af.mil
Commanders
Commander Brig. Gen. Jason E. Bartolomei
Vice Commander Col. Milko R. Padilla
Executive Director Mr. Timothy Sakulich
Chief Technology Officer Dr. Timothy J. Bunning

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is a scientific research and development detachment of the United States Air Force Materiel Command dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of direct-energy based aerospace warfighting technologies, planning and executing the Air Force science and technology program, and providing warfighting capabilities to United States air, space, and cyberspace forces. [1] It controls the entire Air Force science and technology research budget which was $2.4 billion in 2006. [2]

Contents

The Laboratory was formed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, on 31 October 1997 as a consolidation of four Air Force laboratory facilities (Wright, Phillips, Rome, and Armstrong) and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under a unified command. The Laboratory is composed of eight technical directorates, one wing, and the Office of Scientific Research. Each technical directorate emphasizes a particular area of research within the AFRL mission which it specializes in performing experiments in conjunction with universities and contractors.

Since the Laboratory's formation in 1997, it has conducted numerous experiments and technical demonstrations in conjunction with NASA, Department of Energy, National Laboratories, DARPA, and other research organizations within the Department of Defense. Notable projects include the X-37, X-40, X-53, HTV-3X, YAL-1A, Advanced Tactical Laser, and the Tactical Satellite Program.

In 2009, it was reported that the Laboratory may face problems in the future as 40 percent of its workers are slated to retire over the next two decades, and since 1980, the United States has not produced enough science and engineering degrees to keep up with demand. [3]

History

In 1945, the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories were established. These laboratories were active from 1945 to 2011, following consolidation to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Kirtland Air Force Base under the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission. [4] The labs were founded as the Air Force Cambridge Research Center (AFCRC), a Cold War systems development organization which developed telephone modem communications for a Digital Radar Relay in 1949. [5] Created by General Henry H. Arnold in 1945, [6] AFCRC participated in Project Space Track and Semi-Automatic Ground Environment development.

The path to a consolidated Air Force Research Laboratory began with the passage of the Goldwater–Nichols Act which was designed to streamline the use of resources by the Department of Defense. [7] In addition to this Act, the end of the Cold War began a period of budgetary and personnel reductions within the armed forces in preparation for a "stand-down" transition out of readiness for a global war with the Soviet Union. [8] Prior to 1990, the Air Force laboratory system spread research out into 13 different laboratories and the Rome Air Development Center which each reported up two separate chains of command: a product center for personnel, and the Air Force Systems Command Director of Science & Technology for budgetary purposes. [9] Bowing to the constraints of a reduced budget and personnel, the Air Force merged the existing research laboratories into four "superlabs" in December 1990. [10] During this same time period, the Air Force Systems Command and Air Force Logistics Command merged to form Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) in July 1992. [11]

Air Force Laboratories Before and After 1990 Merger [12]
Pre-MergerPost-Merger
Weapons Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, NM Phillips Laboratory
Kirtland AFB
Geophysics Laboratory, Hanscom AFB, MA
Astronautics Laboratory, Edwards AFB, CA
Avionics Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH Wright Laboratory
Wright-Patterson AFB
Electronics Technology Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
Flight Dynamics Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
Material Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
Aero Propulsion and Power Laboratory
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
Armament Laboratory, Eglin AFB, FL
Rome Air Development Center
Griffiss AFB, NY		 Rome Laboratory
Griffiss AFB, NY
Human Resources Laboratory, Brooks AFB, TX Armstrong Laboratory
Brooks AFB, TX
Harry G. Armstrong Aerospace
Medical Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
Drug Testing Laboratory, Brooks AFB, TX
Occupational and Environmental
Health Laboratory, Brooks AFB, TX

While the initial consolidation of Air Force laboratories reduced overhead and budgetary pressure, another push towards a unified laboratory structure came in the form of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996, Section 277. This section instructed the Department of Defense to produce a five-year plan for consolidation and restructuring of all defense laboratories. [13] The currently existing laboratory structure was created in October 1997 through the consolidation of Phillips Laboratory headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Wright Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio, Rome Laboratory (formerly Rome Air Development Center) in Rome, New York, and Armstrong Laboratory in San Antonio, Texas and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). [14] The single laboratory concept was developed and championed by Maj Gen Richard Paul, who was Director of Science & Technology for AFMC and Gen Henry Viccellio Jr, and then became the first Commander of AFRL. [15]

Predecessor emblems of the AFRL Afrl founding orgs.png
Predecessor emblems of the AFRL

With the merger of the laboratories into a single entity, the history offices at each site ceased to maintain independent histories and all history functions were transferred to a central History Office located at AFRL HQ at Wright-Patterson AFB. [16] In homage to the predecessor laboratories, the new organization named four of the research sites after the laboratories and assured that each laboratory's history would be preserved as inactivated units. [17]

In 2023, the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence was completed to help the Laboratory, private companies, and local academics collaborate on the research of eVTOL and UAS aircraft. [18] [19]

Organization

AFRL sites Afrl sites.jpg
AFRL sites

The laboratory is divided into eight Technical Directorates, one wing, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) based on different areas of research. AFOSR is primarily a funding body for external research while the other directorates perform research in-house or under contract to external entities. [1]

A directorate is roughly equivalent to a military wing. Each directorate is composed of a number of divisions and typically has at least three support divisions in addition to its research divisions. [20] The Operations and Integration Division provides the directorate with well-conceived and executed business computing, human resource management, and business development services while the Financial Management Division manages the financial resources and the Procurement Division provides an in-house contracting capability. [21] The support divisions at any given location frequently work together to minimize overhead at any given research site. Each division is then further broken down into branches, roughly equivalent to a military squadron.

Superimposed on the overall AFRL structure are the eight detachments. Each detachment is composed of the AFRL military personnel at any given geographical location. [22] For example, the personnel at Wright-Patterson AFB are all part of Detachment 1. Each detachment will typically also have a unit commander separate from the directorate and division structure.

Headquarters AFRL

Located at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, AFRL Headquarters houses the commanders and staff for the laboratories (q.v.). Its primary responsibilities are leadership, policy and guidance; unifying the common objectives of the eight Technical Directorates, the 711th wing, and AFOSR. The staff functions include Public Relations, Strategic Communication, Business Outreach, Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution (PPBE), Technology Transition, Transformation, Contracting and a High-Performance Computing Center. HQ also includes the Center for Rapid Innovation, which handles urgent operational requests from commanders of Air Force Space Command, Air Force Global Strike Command, Air Mobility Command, and others. [23]

Air Force Office of Scientific Research

The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), located in Arlington, Virginia, invests in basic research efforts for the Air Force by funding investigation in relevant scientific areas. [1] This work is performed in cooperation with private industry, academia, and other organizations in the Department of Defense and AFRL Directorates.

AFOSR's research is organized into four scientific directorates: the Engineering and Complex Systems Directorate; the Information and Networks Directorate; the Physical Sciences Directorate; and the Chemistry and Biological Sciences Directorate. [24] Each directorate funds research activities that it believes will enable the technological superiority of the Air Force.

AFOSR also maintains three foreign technology offices located in London, UK (the European Office of Aerospace Research & Development), Tokyo, Japan, and Santiago, Chile. These overseas offices coordinate with the international scientific and engineering community to allow for better collaboration between the community and Air Force personnel. [25]

AFOSR is one of the sponsors of the University Nanosatellite Program. [26]

Air Vehicles Directorate

Martin Marietta X-24B Martin X-24B USAF.jpg
Martin Marietta X-24B

The Air Vehicles Directorate, located at Wright-Patterson AFB, has the mission of developing technologies that support cost-effective and survivable aerospace vehicles capable of accurate and quick delivery of a variety of future weapons or cargo anywhere. [1] The current director is Col Michael Hatfield. [27]

The Directorate has previously collaborated with NASA in the X-24 project to research concepts associated with lifting body type aircraft. [28] The X-24 was one of a series of experimental aircraft, including the M2-F1, M2-F2, HL-10, and HL-20, by NASA and Air Force programs to develop the lifting body concept into maturity. The tests conducted during these programs led to the choice of an unpowered landing for the Space Shuttle program. [29]

Artist's rendition of the X-37. X-37 spacecraft, artist's rendition.jpeg
Artist's rendition of the X-37.

In 2002, the Directorate initiated the X-53 Active Aeroelastic Wing program in cooperation with NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center and Boeing Phantom Works to research ways to make more efficient use of the wing surface during high-speed maneuvers. [30]

The Directorate is also a collaborator with DARPA, the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Sandia National Laboratories and AFRL's Space Vehicles Directorate on the FALCON program, which includes the HTV-3X Blackswift hypersonic flight demonstration vehicle. [31] The Air Vehicles Directorate also collaborated with NASA and Boeing on the initial work for the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle and the 80% scaled version, X-40A Space Maneuver Vehicle, prior to the classification of the program and its transfer from NASA to DARPA in late 2004. [32] The X-37 program is now managed by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office.

Another recent project managed by the Air Vehicles Directorate is the Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft program begun in 2007. [33] This is an experimental, composite aircraft program with a goal of demonstrating the feasibility of the development of a cargo airframe constructed primary of light-weight composite materials. [34] AFRL intends to gain X-plane designation for the program once flight tests begin. [35]

The US$ 250,000,000 VTHL Reusable Booster System program was initiated by the USAF in 2010. [36] [37]

In 2012, the Air Vehicles Directorate merged with the Propulsion Directorate to become Aerospace Systems Directorate. [38]

Directed Energy Directorate

YAL-1 in flight YAL-1A Airborne Laser unstowed crop.jpg
YAL-1 in flight
A US dazzler style weapon PHASR Rifle.jpg
A US dazzler style weapon

In addition to serving as the Air Force's Center of Excellence for high power microwave technology, the Directed Energy Directorate is also the Department of Defense's Center of Expertise for laser development of all types. [1] The current director is Susan Thornton. [39]

The Starfire Optical Range at Kirtland AFB, North Oscura Peak on White Sands Missile Range, and the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing observatory (AMOS) are also operated by divisions of the Directed Energy Directorate in addition to their facilities at the Directorate's headquarters at Kirtland AFB. [1] The Starfire Optical Range is used to research various topics of advanced tracking using lasers as well as studies of atmospheric physics which examines atmospheric effects which can distort laser beams. [40] North Oscura Peak is used to research the various technologies necessary to facilitate successful tracking and destruction of an incoming missile via a laser and is used frequently for laser-based missile defense tests. [41] AMOS provides space observation capabilities and computational resources to AFRL, the Department of Defense and other agencies of the US Government. [42]

Directed Energy projects typically fall into two categories: laser and microwave. Laser projects range from completely non-lethal targeting lasers to dazzlers, such as the Saber 203 used by US forces during the Somali Civil War [ citation needed ] and the more recent PHaSR dazzler, [43] to powerful missile defense lasers such as the chemical oxygen iodine laser (COIL) used in the YAL-1A project now led by the Missile Defense Agency. [44] A continuation of the Airborne Laser experiment is also being conducted in the form of the Advanced Tactical Laser, which is a Special Forces demonstrator project to mount a COIL system in a tactical AC-130 gunship. [45] Microwave technologies are being advanced for use against both electronics and personnel. One example of an anti-personnel microwave project is the "less-than-lethal" Active Denial System, which uses high-powered microwaves to penetrate less than a millimeter into the target's skin, where the nerve endings are located. [46]

Going back as far as 1995, there were arguments that laser dazzlers could potentially cause permanent blindness in targets, and these same concerns were revived with the announcement of the PHaSR project, which is claimed to be a non-blinding laser weapon. [43] Due to concerns that even low-powered lasers could cause blindness, the Human Rights Watch proposed that all tactical laser weapons should be scrapped and research stopped by all interested governments. [47] The Active Denial System has also been the target of Amnesty International as well as, less directly, a United Nations special rapporteur as being a potential weapon of torture. [48]

711th Human Performance Wing

In March 2008, AFRL's Human Effectiveness Directorate located at Wright-Patterson AFB was merged with the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine and the Human Performance Integration Directorate from the 311th Human Systems Wing both located at Brooks City-Base, Texas to form the 711th Human Performance Wing. [49] In its vision statement, the wing includes the goals of improving aerospace medicine, science and technology, and human systems integration. [1] The current Commander of the 711th is Brig. Gen. Timothy Jex. [50]

One practical application of its work is ensuring and advancing the safety of ejection systems for pilots. [51] With the increasing number of females in the Air Force ranks, anthropometry is of greater import now than ever, and 711th's WB4 'whole-body scanner' enables swift and accurate acquisition of anthropometric data which may be used to design pilot equipment with a better fit for comfort and safety. [52]

Information Directorate

The mission of the Information Directorate, located at the Rome Research Site on the Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome, New York, is to lead the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting information technologies for air, space, and cyberspace forces. [1] The current director of the Information Directorate is Colonel Timothy J. Lawrence. [53]

The Information Directorate has contributed research to a number of technologies which have been deployed in the field. These projects include collaboration with other agencies in the development of ARPANET, the predecessor of the Internet, as well as technologies used in the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System which is a key aspect of theater command and control for combat commanders. [54] The Directorate also collaborated with the Department of Justice performing research on voice stress analysis technologies. [55]

Materials and Manufacturing Directorate

The Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, located at Wright-Patterson AFB and Tyndall AFB, develops materials, processes, and advanced manufacturing technologies for aerospace systems and their components to improve Air Force capabilities in these areas. [1] The current director is Mr. Darrell K. Phillipson. [56]

In 2003, the Directorate announced a new manufacturing method for use producing the turbine exhaust casing for the F119 jet engine used on the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter which will result in an estimated savings of 35% of the cost while also improving the durability. [57] In collaboration with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, the Directorate helped develop a new laser-based ultrasonic scanner to inspect composite parts also for use on the F-22. [58] The Directorate also developed an advanced thermoplastic composite material for use in the landing gear doors on the F-22. [51] In 2008, the Air Force announced that the Directorate had developed a method of using fabric made of fiber optic material in a friend or foe identification system. [59]

Munitions Directorate

The mission of the Munitions Directorate, located at Eglin AFB, Florida, is to "develop, demonstrate and transition science and technology for air-launched munitions for defeating ground fixed, mobile/relocatable, air and space targets to assure pre-eminence of U.S. air and space forces." [1] The current director of the Munitions Directorate is Colonel Woodrow "Tony" Meeks. [56]

Notable projects which have been made public include the GBU-28 "bunker-buster" bomb which debuted during the 1991 Persian Gulf War in Iraq and took only 17 days from concept to first deployment. [60] The Directorate also developed the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb which was deployed during the 2003 invasion of Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom and was the largest non-nuclear air-delivered munitions at that time. [61]

Propulsion Directorate

RS-68 rocket engine test firing at Edwards Air Force Base RS-68 Rocket Engine.jpg
RS-68 rocket engine test firing at Edwards Air Force Base

The mission of the Propulsion Directorate, located at Wright-Patterson AFB and Edwards Air Force Base, is "to create and transition propulsion and power technology for military dominance of air and space." [1] The current director of the Propulsion Directorate is Douglas L. Bowers. [62]

Research areas range from experimental rocket propulsion to developing the first ever lithium-ion main aircraft battery for use in the B-2 stealth bomber. At Edwards AFB, the Directorate's test area is located east of Rogers Lake.

The Propulsion Directorate was formed through the merger of the aerospace propulsion section at Wright Laboratory and the space propulsion section at Phillips Laboratory. [63] Each section, both before and after the merger, has played a significant role in past and present propulsion systems. Prior to the development of Project Apollo by NASA, the Air Force worked on the development and testing of the F-1 rocket engine used to power the Saturn V rocket. [64] The facilities for testing rockets are frequently used for testing new rocket engines including the RS-68 rocket engine developed for use on the Delta IV launch vehicle. [65] The space propulsion area also develops technologies for use in satellites on-orbit to alter their orbits. An AFRL-developed experimental Electric Propulsion Space Experiment (ESEX) arcjet was flown on the ARGOS satellite in 1999 as part of the Air Force Space Test Program. [66]

The Directorate currently manages the X-51A program, which is developing a scramjet demonstration vehicle. [67] The X-51 program is working to develop a flight demonstrator for a hypersonic cruise missile which could reach anywhere on the globe in an hour. [68] In January 2008, the Directorate used a modified Scaled Composites Long-EZ aircraft to demonstrate that a pulse detonation engine could successfully power flight. [69] That aircraft has now been transferred to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB for display.

Sensors Directorate

The mission of the Sensors Directorate, located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is to provide a full range of air and space sensors, networked to the warfighter, providing a complete and timely picture of the battlespace enabling precision targeting of the enemy and protection friendly air and space assets and its core technology areas include: radar, active and passive electro-optical targeting systems, navigation aids, automatic target recognition, sensor fusion, threat warning and threat countermeasures. [1] As of July 9, 2021, the current director is Amanda Gentry. [70] [71]

The divisions formerly located at Hanscom AFB and Rome Research Site moved to Wright-Patterson AFB under the Defense Base Realignment and Closure, 2005 Commission. [72]

The Directorate has contributed significantly to the Integrated Sensor is Structure (ISIS) project managed by DARPA which is a project to develop a missile tracking airship. [73] In June 2008, the Air Force announced that scientists working for the Sensors Directorate had demonstrated transparent transistors. These could eventually be used to develop technologies such as "video image displays and coatings for windows, visors and windshields; electrical interconnects for future integrated multi-mode, remote sensing, focal plane arrays; high-speed microwave devices and circuits for telecommunications and radar transceivers; and semi-transparent, touch-sensitive screens for emerging multi-touch interface technologies." [74]

Space Vehicles Directorate

Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) CNOFS.jpg
Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS)

The mission of the Space Vehicles Directorate is to develop and transition space technologies for more effective, more affordable warfighter missions. [1] In addition to the Directorate headquarters at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico and an additional research facility at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts, the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) located near Gakona, Alaska is also jointly operated by the Space Vehicles Directorate as well as DARPA, the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and universities to conduct ionospheric research. [75] The current director is Col David Goldstein. [76] The Battlespace Environment Division formerly located at Hanscom AFB moved to a new Research lab facility at Kirtland AFB in 2011–2012 as directed under the Defense Base Realignment and Closure, 2005 Commission. [72]

The IBM RAD6000 radiation hardened single board computer, now produced by BAE Systems, was initially developed in a collaboration with the Space Electronics and Protection Branch and IBM Federal Systems and is now used on nearly 200 satellites and robotic spacecraft, including on the twin Mars Exploration Rovers— Spirit and Opportunity . [77] In November 2005, the AFRL XSS-11 satellite demonstrator received Popular Science's "Best of What's New" award in the Aviation and Space category. [78] The Space Vehicles Directorate is also a leading collaborator in the Department of Defense Operationally Responsive Space Office's Tactical Satellite Program and served as program manager for the development of TacSat-2, TacSat-3, and is current program manager for the development of TacSat-5. [79] They also have contributed experimental sensors to TacSat-4 which is managed by the NRL's Center for Space Technology. [80]

TacSat-3 computer model TacSat-3.png
TacSat-3 computer model

The University Nanosatellite Program, a satellite design and fabrication competition for universities jointly administered by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), AFOSR, AFRL, and the Space Development and Test Wing, is also managed by the Space Vehicles Directorate's Spacecraft Technology division. [81] The fourth iteration of the competition was completed in March 2007 with the selection of Cornell University's CUSat as the winner. [82] Previous winners of the competition were University of Texas at Austin's Formation Autonomy Spacecraft with Thrust, Relnav, Attitude, and Crosslink (FASTRAC) for Nanosat-3 [83] and the joint 3 Corner Satellite (3CS) project by the University of Colorado at Boulder, Arizona State University and New Mexico State University for Nanosat-2. [84] As of July 2008, only the 3CS spacecraft has launched, [85] however FASTRAC has a launch tentatively scheduled for December 2009. [86]

The Directorate has indirectly faced significant controversy over the HAARP project. [87] While the project claims to be developed only for studying the effects of ionospheric disruption on communications, navigation, and power systems, many suspect it of being developed as a prototype for a "Star Wars" type of weapon system. [88] Still others are more concerned with the environmental impact to migratory birds of beaming thousands of watts of power into the atmosphere. [89]

In 2020, the Space Vehicles Directorate announced the creation of a new Deployable Structures Laboratory (DeSel) focused on developing high-strength materials and satellite structures at Kirtland Air Force Base. [90]

List of commanders

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirtland Air Force Base</span> US Air Force base at Albuquerque, NM, US

Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base. It is located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico, urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator Col. Roy C. Kirtland. The military and the international airport share the same runways, making ABQ a joint civil-military airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rome Laboratory</span> US Air Force research laboratory in Rome, New York

Rome Laboratory is a U.S. Air Force research laboratory for "command, control, and communications" research and development and is responsible for planning and executing the USAF science and technology program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Force Materiel Command</span> US Air Force body

The Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF). AFMC was created on July 1, 1992, through the amalgamation of the former Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC) and the former Air Force Systems Command (AFSC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing X-51 Waverider</span> Unmanned hypersonic experimental aircraft

The Boeing X-51 Waverider is an unmanned research scramjet experimental aircraft for hypersonic flight at Mach 5 and an altitude of 70,000 feet (21,000 m). The aircraft was designated X-51 in 2005. It completed its first powered hypersonic flight on 26 May 2010. After two unsuccessful test flights, the X-51 completed a flight of over six minutes and reached speeds of over Mach 5 for 210 seconds on 1 May 2013 for the longest duration powered hypersonic flight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lester Lyles</span> US Air Force general

General Lester L. Lyles is a retired four-star general in the United States Air Force (USAF). He served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, and Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. After retirement from the USAF in 2003, he became a company director for General Dynamics, DPL Inc., KBR, Inc., Precision Castparts Corp., MTC Technologies, Battelle Memorial Institute and USAA. Lyles is also a trustee of Analytic Services and a managing partner of Four Seasons Ventures, LLC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TacSat-2</span> US military satellite

TacSat-2 is the first in a series of U.S. military experimental technology and communication satellites.TacSat-2 (also known as JWS-D1 was an experimental satellite built by the USAF's Air Force Research Laboratory with an operational life expected to be not more than one year as part of the "Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration" program.

The Space Test Program (STP) is the primary provider of spaceflight for the United States Department of Defense (DoD) space science and technology community. STP is managed by a group within the Advanced Systems and Development Directorate, a directorate of the Space and Missile Systems Center of the United States Space Force. STP provides spaceflight via the International Space Station (ISS), piggybacks, secondary payloads and dedicated launch services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space Systems Command</span> U.S. Space Force space development, acquisition, launch, and logistics field command

Space Systems Command (SSC) is the United States Space Force's space development, acquisition, launch, and logistics field command. It is headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, and manages the United States' space launch ranges.

Jerome Pearson was an American engineer and space scientist best known for his work on space elevators, including a lunar space elevator. He was president of STAR, Inc., and has developed aircraft and spacecraft technology for the United States Air Force, DARPA, and NASA. He held several patents and was the author of nearly 100 publications in aircraft, spacecraft, electrodynamic tethers, SETI, and global climate control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ARGOS (satellite)</span> American scientific satellite

The Advanced Research and Global Observation Satellite (ARGOS) was launched on 23 February 1999 carrying nine payloads for research and development missions by nine separate researchers. The mission terminated on 31 July 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">XSS-10</span> Micro-spacecraft developed by U.S. Air Force

XSS-10 was a small, low-cost micro-spacecraft developed by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate to test technology for line-of-sight guidance of spacecraft. The project was initiated at AFRL by Program Manager David Barnhart and completed by Georgia Tech Research Institute engineer Thom Davis and team. The project was declared a success shortly after launch.

The University Nanosat Program is a satellite design and fabrication competition for universities. It is jointly administered by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the Space Development and Test Wing and the AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate's Spacecraft Technology division. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center was involved from the program inception through Nanosat-3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siva S. Banda</span> Indian-American aerospace engineer

Siva Subrahmanyam Banda is an Indian-American aerospace engineer. He was Director of the Control Science Center of Excellence and Chief Scientist for the Aerospace Systems Directorate at the United States Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He has taught at Wright State University, the University of Dayton, and the Air Force Institute of Technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Propellant Infusion Mission</span> NASA satellite testing a new rocket fuel

The Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) was a NASA technology demonstrator project that tested a less toxic and higher performance/efficiency chemical propellant for next-generation launch vehicles and CubeSat spacecraft. When compared to the present high-thrust and high-performance industry standard for orbital maneuvering systems, which for decades, have exclusively been reliant upon toxic hydrazine based propellant formulations, the "greener" hydroxylammonium nitrate (HAN) monopropellant offers many advantages for future satellites, including longer mission durations, additional maneuverability, increased payload space and simplified launch processing. The GPIM was managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and was part of NASA's Technology Demonstration Mission Program within the Space Technology Mission Directorate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine</span>

The United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM) is the United States Air Force (USAF) organization focused on education, research, and operational consultation in aerospace and operational medicine. USAFSAM was founded in 1918 to conduct research into the medical and physiologic domains related to human flight, and as a school for medical officers trained to support military aviation operations, later coined as flight surgeons. The school supported early military aviation from World War I through the evolution of aviation and into the modern era. USAFSAM conducted medical research and provided medical support for the initial US space operations beginning in 1947 through the establishment of NASA in 1958. After the creation of NASA, USAFSAM continued to actively support civilian and military manned space missions through clinical and physiologic research. USAFSAM is one of the oldest continually operating school for flight surgeons and other operational medical personnel of its kind in the world. USAFSAM is located in Dayton, Ohio at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and is part of the 711th Human Performance Wing and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John F. Thompson (general)</span> US Air Force general

John Ferdinand "JT" Thompson is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Air Force who last served as the commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center from May 2017 to July 2021. He entered the United States Air Force in 1984 as a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Structure of the United States Space Force</span> Structure of the U.S. Space Force

The United States Space Force is organized by different units: the Space Staff, the field commands, and the space deltas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil McCasland</span>

William Neil McCasland is an astronautical engineer, retired United States Air Force major general, and former commander of Air Force Research Laboratory. He is currently the director of technology at Applied Technology Associates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khanh D. Pham</span> Vietnamese American aerospace engineer

Khanh Dai Pham is a Vietnamese-born American aerospace engineer. He is noted for his work in statistical optimal control theory, game-theoretic operations research of military satellite communications, space control autonomy, and space domain awareness and the government leadership in innovation ecosystem and coalition of government agencies, small business and industry. He is a Fellow of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE), the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety (IAASS), and the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS). He is not only a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the American Astronautical Society (AAS), and the Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association (AAIA) but also an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN).

Yolanda D. Jones King is a retired American laser scientist and defense engineer who worked for many years in the Air Force Research Laboratory. She is a Fellow of the AIAA, a regent of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and the wife of Gary King, the former attorney general of New Mexico.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 US Air Force. "Factsheets: Air Force Research Laboratory". AFRL. Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
  2. ↑ Department of Defense Inspector General (28 September 2007). "Contracting Practices at Air Force Laboratory Facilities". Department of Defense. Archived from the original on 10 January 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2008.
  3. ↑ Bender, Bryan (13 June 2009). "Pentagon fears technology edge may be eroding". Boston.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2009 – via The Boston Globe.
  4. ↑ Altshuler, Edward E. (2 January 2013). The Rise and Fall of Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories. Hanscom Air Force Base: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN   978-1481832519.
  5. ↑ Edwards, Paul N (1996). "Chapter 3: SAGE". The Closed World: Computers and the Politics of Discourse in Cold War America. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 December 2005. Retrieved 23 April 2013. the Air Force Cambridge Research Center (AFCRC) [had] recently developed methods for digital transmission of data over telephone lines [with] Digital Radar Relay (DRR)55 The DRR research, begun just after World War II, took four years to complete. Its availability solved one of the many analog-to-digital conversion problems faced by the eventual SAGE. (Edwards footnote 55 cites Harrington p. 370)
  6. ↑ "BB News 5". Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  7. ↑ United States Congress (8 April 1986). "S. 2295. Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986" (PDF). 99th Congress, Second Session. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 September 2006. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
  8. ↑ Duffner, Robert (2000). Science and technology: the making of the Air Force Research Laboratory (PDF). Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Air University Press. p. 9. ISBN   1-58566-085-X. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2008.
  9. ↑ Duffner 2000: 18
  10. ↑ Duffner 2000: 11
  11. ↑ Gaffney, Timothy R. "New Era Taking Off at Wright-Pat: Materiel Command Startup a Key to Realignment". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved 20 July 2008.
  12. ↑ Duffner 2000: 12
  13. ↑ United States Congress (10 February 1996). "S.1124 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996, Section 277". 104th Congress, Second Session.
  14. ↑ Duffner 2000: 117
  15. ↑ Duffner 2000: 38
  16. ↑ Duffner 2000: 257
  17. ↑ Duffner 2000: 261
  18. ↑ "Ribbon cut on National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence". www.aol.com. 19 September 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  19. ↑ "National AAM Center of Excellence officially opens". Composites World. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  20. ↑ Duffner 2000: 190
  21. ↑ Duffner 2000: 227–251
  22. ↑ Duffner 2000: 262
  23. ↑ "How the Air Force Takes Tech From R&D to Warfighter Readiness". pcmag.com. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  24. ↑ US Air Force. "AFOSR – Research Areas". AFRL. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  25. ↑ US Air Force. "Factsheets : AFOSR : About – Mission". AFRL. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 22 June 2008.
  26. ↑ "University Nanosatellite Program". AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate. Archived from the original on 13 June 2008.
  27. ↑ "Air Force Research Laboratory". www.wpafb.af.mil.
  28. ↑ Reed, R. Dale (June 1997). Wingless Flight: The Lifting Body Story. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. pp. 129–143. ISBN   0-16-049390-0.
  29. ↑ Reed 1997: 128
  30. ↑ Cole, William. "Let's Twist Again! : Technology that enables wing 'warping' rolled out at Dryden". Boeing Frontiers Online. Boeing. Archived from the original on 5 September 2008. Retrieved 29 June 2008.
  31. ↑ David, Leonard (26 January 2006). "Air Force Plans Flight Tests of Hypersonic Vehicle". Space.com. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 20 July 2008.
  32. ↑ David, Leonard (17 November 2006). "U.S. Air Force Pushes For Orbital Test Vehicle". Space.com. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
  33. ↑ AFRL (22 January 2007). "Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft Flight Demonstrator Solicitation". FedBizOps. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
  34. ↑ Welch, William (21 March 2008). "Prototype plane uses composites in new way". USA Today. Archived from the original on 3 May 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
  35. ↑ Warwick, Graham (6 March 2009). "Skunk Works' Cargo X-Plane Complete". Aviation Week. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
  36. ↑ "Air Force studying reusable upper stage systems for reusable booster". RLV and Space Transport News. 20 September 2010. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  37. ↑ Cogliano (22 March 2011). "Air Force launches $250M reusable booster initiative". Dayton Business Journal. Archived from the original on 25 March 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011. Officials anticipate awarding up to three contracts for the project, where winners would compete for individual tasks of experiments and demonstrations that address technology, processes and other attributes of a reusable booster system, or RBS. Air Force officials envision an RBS that includes a reusable rocket and an expendable upper stage rocket. The reusable rocket would be launched vertically and return, landing aircraft style on a runway, after carrying the space craft to a point where the expendable rocket could take over.
  38. ↑ "wpafb.af.mil". Archived from the original on 9 March 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  39. ↑ "Biographies : SUSAN J. THORNTON". Archived from the original on 16 June 2009.
  40. ↑ Miller, Paul (28 June 2006). "Starfire Optical Range – a death ray for science's sake". Engadget. Archived from the original on 2 May 2008. Retrieved 20 July 2008.
  41. ↑ GlobalSecurity.org. "Oscura Range". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on 11 July 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
  42. ↑ Federation of American Scientists. "Air Force Maui Optical Station". Archived from the original on 8 July 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
  43. 1 2 Knight, Will (7 November 2005). "US military sets laser PHASRs to stun". New Scientist. Archived from the original on 18 April 2008. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
  44. ↑ GlobalSecurity.org. "Airborne Laser". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on 10 July 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2008.
  45. ↑ Adams, Eric (1 June 2004). "Advanced Tactical Laser". Popular Science. Archived from the original on 28 February 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2008.
  46. ↑ Hooper, Duncan (26 January 2007). "US unveils 'heat gun'". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Archived from the original on 15 June 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2008.
  47. ↑ "U.S. Blinding Laser Weapons". Human Rights Watch Arms Project. Human Rights Watch. May 1995. Archived from the original on 11 July 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
  48. ↑ Wright, Steve (5 October 2006). "Targeting the pain business". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on 3 June 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
  49. ↑ "$230M of construction headed to Wright-Patt". 30 January 2008. Archived from the original on 14 June 2008. Retrieved 26 July 2008.
  50. ↑ "Biographies : THOMAS S. WELLS". Archived from the original on 13 June 2009.
  51. 1 2 US Air Force (March 1999). "Air Force Research Laboratories Success Stories: A Review of 1997/1998". AFRL. Archived from the original on 18 June 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2008.
  52. ↑ Cyberware. "Wright-Patterson to Use the First Whole Body Scanner". Archived from the original on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 13 July 2008.
  53. ↑ U.S. Air Force. "Colonel Timothy J. Lawrence".
  54. ↑ US Air Force. "AFRL Information Directorate Overview". AFRL. Archived from the original (PPT) on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2008.
  55. ↑ Haddad, Darren; et al. (13 February 2002). "Integration and Evaluation of Voice Stress Analysis Technology" (PDF). Office of Justice Programs. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 July 2006. Retrieved 20 July 2008.
  56. 1 2 "AFRL Munitions Directorate". www.eglin.af.mil.
  57. ↑ GlobalSecurity.org. "F119-PW-100". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on 11 July 2008. Retrieved 20 July 2008.
  58. ↑ Lamberton, Lance (28 April 1998). "Lockheed Martin Constructing Laser Ultrasonics Center at Tactical Aircraft Systems Plant". Lockheed Martin. Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 20 July 2008.
  59. ↑ Hannah, James (20 February 2008). "Clothing IDs Friends for Military". Fox News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 8 January 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2008.
  60. ↑ GlobalSecurity.org. "Guided Bomb Unit-28". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on 9 July 2008. Retrieved 21 July 2008.
  61. ↑ GlobalSecurity.org. "GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 18 July 2008.
  62. ↑ "Biographies : DOUGLAS L. BOWERS". Archived from the original on 16 June 2009.
  63. ↑ Duffner 2000: 169
  64. ↑ California Space Authority (14 January 2004). "Huge Rocket Component Test Stand Completed". Archived from the original on 18 June 2009. Retrieved 18 July 2008.
  65. ↑ Skeen, Jim (13 August 2001). "Rocket Lab May Benefit From Renewed Interest in Missiles Edwards Facility Has Been Involved in Most Major Propulsion Projects". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved 18 July 2008.
  66. ↑ Boeing (6 January 1999). "ARGOS Satellite Serves as Platform for Leading-Edge Technology and Research". Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 18 July 2008.
  67. ↑ Boeing (1 June 2007). "Successful Design Review and Engine Test Bring Boeing X-51A Closer to Flight". Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
  68. ↑ Shachtman, Noah (January 2007). "Hypersonic Cruise Missile: America's New Global Strike Weapon". Popular Mechanics. Archived from the original on 19 September 2008.
  69. ↑ Warwick, Graham. "US AFRL proves pulse-detonation engine can power aircraft". Flightglobal. Archived from the original on 29 June 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
  70. ↑ "AFRL Sensors Directorate welcomes Amanda Gentry as new director". ONE AFRL / TWO SERVICES. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  71. ↑ "AMANDA GENTRY". www.af.mil. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  72. 1 2 Principi, Anthony J.; et al. (8 September 2005). "2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission Report: Volume 1" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 January 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2008.
  73. ↑ Staff Writers (22 May 2006). "AFRL Awards ISIS Contracts To Northrop Grumman". Space Daily. Archived from the original on 17 June 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2008.
  74. ↑ Lachance, Molly (19 June 2008). "Air Force Scientists Develop Transparent Transistors". Space Mart. Archived from the original on 22 May 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2008.
  75. ↑ University of Alaska. "HAARP Fact Sheet". Archived from the original on 7 October 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2008.
  76. ↑ "Kirtland Air Force Base - AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate". Archived from the original on 4 July 2007.
  77. ↑ Fordahl, Matthew (23 January 2004). "Software on Mars rovers 'space qualified'". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 30 April 2006. Retrieved 16 July 2008.
  78. ↑ "Experimental Satellite System 11 (XSS-11)". Popular Science. October 2005. Archived from the original on 12 December 2006. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  79. ↑ Doyne, Col Tom; et al. (23 April 2007). "ORS and TacSat Activities Including the Emerging ORS Enterprise" (PDF). 5th AIAA Responsive Space Conference. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2008.
  80. ↑ Raymond, Col Jay; et al. (26 April 2005). "A TacSat Update and the ORS/JWS Standard Bus" (PDF). 3rd AIAA Responsive Space Conference. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 May 2006. Retrieved 16 July 2008.
  81. ↑ US Air Force. "University Nanosatellite Program". AFRL. Archived from the original on 13 June 2008. Retrieved 22 June 2008.
  82. ↑ Staff Writers (4 April 2007). "Cornell University Chosen To Build Nanosat-4 Flight Experiment". Space Daily. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 10 July 2008.
  83. ↑ Torres, Juliana (21 January 2005). "Students' satellites win right to space flight". The Daily Texan. Archived from the original on 18 June 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2008.
  84. ↑ NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "Three Corner Satellite". NASA. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2008.
  85. ↑ Spires, Shelby G. (11 December 2004). "Delta IV readyfor liftoff today". The Huntsville Times. Archived from the original on 17 June 2008. Retrieved 26 July 2008.
  86. ↑ Clark, Stephen (26 June 2008). "FASTRAC Satellites Get Updated Software, New Antennas". University of Texas at Austin. Archived from the original on 18 June 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2008.
  87. ↑ Begich, Nick; Manning, Jeane (1995). Angels Don't Play This HAARP: Advances in Tesla Technology. Earthpulse Press. ISBN   0-9648812-0-9.
  88. ↑ Smith, Jerry E. (August 1998). HAARP: The Ultimate Weapon of The Conspiracy. Adventures Unlimited Press. pp. 21–22. ISBN   0-932813-53-4 . Retrieved 13 July 2008.
  89. ↑ Streep, Abe (18 June 2008). "Scientific Tool or Weapon of Conspiracy?". Popular Science. Archived from the original on 15 July 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2008.
  90. ↑ Freedberg, Sydney J. Jr. (3 November 2020). "AFRL's Newest Lab Aims At Building Things In Space". Breaking Defense. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  91. ↑ "Major General William N. Mccasland".
  92. ↑ "Major General Thomas J. Masiello".
  93. ↑ "Lieutenant General Robert D. Mcmurry Jr".
  94. ↑ "Major General William T. Cooley".
  95. ↑ "Major General Evan C. Dertien".
  96. ↑ "Major General Heather L. Pringle".
  97. ↑ Gnau, Jason (25 June 2024). "Air Force Research Laboratory is set to welcome a new commander". Dayton Daily News . Retrieved 10 July 2024.
Attribution
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.