• Responsive space demonstrator ready to roll

    Officials are saying the December launch of a tactical satellite, dubbed TacSat-2, will serve as the predecessor for rapid satellite production, launch and operation. Managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate, TacSat-2 has evolved into a responsive space demonstrator

  • AFRL tests Mars Flyer concept

    Air Force Research Laboratory researchers continue to play a critical role in the future of Mars exploration. Scientists from AFRL's Air Vehicles Aerospace Vehicle Integration and Demonstration Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, and Naval Research Laboratory met from September 18-20 to perform

  • AFRL leads way to test, certify synthetic fuels

    As an integral partner in the Office of the Secretary of Defense Assured Fuels Initiative, the Air Force Research Laboratory is leading the investigation for suitable, domestically produced alternative fuels for military use.AFRL is now certifying suitable fuels for the Air Force fleet, as part of

  • AFRL Completes Vibration Testing for DSX Satellite Trials

    AFRL scientists completed vibration testing of the High-Energy Proton Spectrometer (HEPS), which will serve as one of six instruments comprising the Space Weather and Environmental Effects trial on the Demonstration and Science Experiment (DSX) satellite, scheduled to launch in 2008. The evaluation

  • AFRL Successfully Tests Heat-Pipe-Cooled Wing Leading Edges

    AFRL scientists completed thermal validation tests to verify the performance of a heat-pipe-cooled wing leading edge. The effort, which furthers the development of reliable, maneuverable space operating vehicle (SOV) technology, demonstrated a technology readiness level (TRL) increase, advancing the

  • AFRL Successfully Tests SIXA Structural Component

    AFRL completed a successful component-level destruct test under the Structurally Integrated X-Band Array (SIXA) program. SIXA is a high-frequency (X-band), load-bearing, phased-array antenna concept that is integrated within a structure and can double as an aircraft component such as a weapons bay

  • AFRL Leads Falcon HTV-1 Model Tests

    AFRL researchers led the first Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle (HTV-1) model wind tunnel tests. They conducted these tests to investigate localized aerodynamic heating and validate the accuracy of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) predictions. HTV-1 represents the first of three vehicle

  • AFRL Conducts Successful TacSat-2 Propulsion Tests

    AFRL engineers successfully fired the 200 W Hall Effect Thruster during spacecraft-level thermal vacuum testing at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The thermal vacuum test verifies the thermal design of the TacSat-2 spacecraft, and it represents the only opportunity prior to launch to verify the

  • Patent Granted for Improved Infrared Thermography Techniques

    Drs. Shichuan Ou and Richard B. Rivir, of AFRL's Propulsion Directorate, and Dr. Srinath V. Ekkad, of Louisiana State University, were granted a patent titled "Method of Infrared Thermography." The patent describes an invention that uses a high-resolution infrared thermography system to determine

  • Joint Targeting Toolbox Successfully Integrated at JEFX 2006

    AFRL installed and integrated its Joint Targeting Toolbox (JTT) version 3.0.2 into the baseline software architecture at the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment (JEFX) 2006 Spiral 3 exercise, conducted at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Over 170 exercise participants and operators received training