• Mini-Thrusters No Small Achievement in Satellite Propulsion

    Based on the in-progress development of miniature electric propulsion systems, or mini-thrusters, small satellites--including CubeSats, the Air Force's latest--may soon perform space maneuvers with greater ease and undertake increasingly formidable tasks, such as searching for planets beyond earth's

  • Base security forces train for the worst

    "On Me"With the simple two word instruction Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Jones, 88th Security Forces Squadron, went from being a searcher to point man, and three other members making up the diamond formation snapped left, each encountering new roles and responsibilities within the team structure. This was

  • Chilling Results for MURI Effort

    Thanks to Air Force Research Laboratory Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative funding, a team led by University of New Mexico professor Dr. Mansoor Sheik-Bahae created the first solid-state cryocooler capable of airborne and spaceborne sensor application. Also known as optical

  • New Models for Optimizing Mission Control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

    With funding from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, engineers at Boston University are working on a theoretical approach to improve automated mission control and decision-making for fleets of unmanned aerial vehicles.While unmanned systems currently rely on the automation of low-level

  • Air Force takes step toward cleaner fuel, energy independence

    Air Force officials, embracing the national priorities of cleaner fuel and energy independence, took a step toward a greener, energy independent future when an A-10C Thunderbolt II here took to the air March 25 fueled with a blend of Hydrotreated Renewable Jet, or HRJ, and JP-8.This first-ever

  • AFRL Commander's Challenge 2009

    The Air Force Research Laboratory Commander's Challenge 2009 concluded with the announcement that Team Wright-Patterson had won the year's event, which hinged on developing a system to monitor mountain passes--the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan, for example--for insurgent activity.

  • "RADICAL" Improvements to IED Detection

    The urgency of improvised explosive device threat mitigation for deployed troops warrants an immediate and sweeping response, and an AFRL/Electronic Systems Center program aptly hailed as RADICAL delivers just that. The chief goal of RADICAL--referenced more formally as the Remote-Controlled

  • 3DAI Foils Costly Engine Inspection

    Seeking a more expedient approach to engine airfoil inspection, an Integrated Project Team established an alternate methodology expected to cut substantial time (and consequently, cost) over current techniques, which are too slow for full-rate/surge production or efficient maintenance operations.

  • Facility to Enhance Alternative Fuels Research

    With a ground-breaking ceremony here the Air Force ushered in a new capability for researching secure, eco-friendly, and renewable fuels. The symbolic excavation marks the start of a significant construction effort that will ultimately yield the Air Force Research Laboratory Assured Aerospace Fuels

  • SBIR Directs Energy Towards Laser-Based Target ID

    Air Force Research Laboratory-sponsored Small Business Innovation Research dedicated to improving target identification technology precipitated development of an Optical Target Identification System of benefit to directed energy weapons advancement, such as that facilitated by the Airborne Laser and