U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)

By Vivienne Machi
The Prometheus effort began in 2018 to perform science and tech experiments in the extreme reentry environment through a low-cost, high-cadence flight testbed.
Commercial Space

By Vivienne Machi
The U.S. needs nuclear propulsion to power spacecraft beyond geostationary orbit for human space exploration and dynamic space operations.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Vivienne Machi
Over the past half-century, the U.S. has introduced over 20 efforts to harness nuclear power and propulsion for space operations, only to cancel all of them.
Operations & Safety

By Garrett Reim
The UAV is based on Silent Arrow’s autonomous GD-2000 cargo glider drone.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Garrett Reim
Cobalt-60 is a radioactive isotope of cobalt that generates heat as it decays.
Space Exploration

By Brian Everstine
AFRL’s Global Lightning prototyping effort began in 2018.
Satellites

By Guy Norris
Sierra Space will study a scaled-up version of its Ghost logistics supply spacecraft concept.
Operations & Safety

By Ben Goldstein
Autonomy is coming to commercial aviation. Its first stop: the Cessna Caravan.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Vivienne Machi
The demonstration saw Northrop Grumman’s hybrid satcom terminal connect with a ViaSat-3 F1 satellite in Geosynchronous orbit at Ka frequencies.
Satellites

By Graham Warwick
Piasecki Aircraft has conducted the first tethered hover flights of the Ares tilt-duct vertical-takeoff-and-landing demonstrator.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Garrett Reim
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) recently cut the ribbon on its new Collaborative Automation for Manufacturing Systems Laboratory.
Emerging Technologies

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force has proposed a high-altitude balloon program as an option for the broader Replicator initiative to accelerate new autonomous systems.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Vivienne Machi
The Pentagon is exploring using commercial launch vehicles for point-to-point delivery by the 2030s.
Space

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force’s engine office says it is open to all option to power a future air refueling aircraft and a potential re-engining of the C-17 as requirements are refined.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
Pressure is mounting on Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion effort to keep new U.S. development of fighter power plants going.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Photonic navigation sensors; Airbus and quantum computing; in-space refueling; alternatives to GPS for PNT.
Emerging Technologies

By Graham Warwick
GE’s small hybrid core; on-site hydrogen on demand; 3D-printing magnesium; and very-low-orbit space tracker.
Emerging Technologies

By Graham Warwick
LeoLabs has won a contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWerx innovation unit to develop an S-band 2D direct radiating array ground-based radar.
Commercial Space

By Steve Trimble
Development work on the U.S. Air Force’s experimental, hypersonic Mayhem vehicle has been paused following the completion of an early design milestone.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Guy Norris
The 4,000-lb.-thrust Draper has now amassed more than 50 hot fire tests.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Steve Trimble
U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall on May 2 flew on a highly modified version of the Lockheed Martin F-16 that was operated by an artificial intelligence (AI) agent.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
Collaborative Combat Aircraft and Survivable Airborne Operations Center selections favor private companies as major primes set sights on larger awards.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Guy Norris
Piasecki Aircraft has unveiled a small air-launched UAV designed to glide autonomously from altitude and deliver logistics payloads.
Army Aviation Association of America

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force announced April 24 that it selected General Atomics and Anduril to continue designs for the first phase of its CCA program.
Army Aviation Association of America

By Brian Everstine
There are individual hybrid satcom terminal programs underway across each of the services.
Space Symposium