AFRL showcases key programs at 2023 Space Symposium – DVIDS

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) ‒ The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, will feature several space-related technologies and programs during the 38th Space Symposium at the Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colorado, April 17-20, 2023.

“Our competitors understand that space is critical for U.S. military operations, and they believe the space domain will be pivotal in future conflicts, so they are aggressively pursuing a wide range of capabilities to deny, degrade or destroy U.S. space systems and infrastructure,” said Dr. Andrew Williams, Deputy Technology Executive Officer for Space Science and Technology, or S&T. “Both China and Russia are deeply engaged in strategic competition for the space domain and are rapidly developing new and greater counterspace capabilities. The U.S. Space Force is executing science and technology efforts at the Air Force Research Laboratory and across the nation to develop resilient architectures and increase the cost of aggression.”

Williams will conduct a briefing with members of the media April 19, 2023, from 1-1:30 p.m. MT in briefing room A, located in the Columbine Room, on the second floor of Broadmoor Hall, where he will discuss technologies on display at the AFRL exhibit booth.

Williams will also co-host a fireside chat with Dr. Steven Meier, director, Naval Center for Space Technology, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory or NRL, April 19 from 3:45-4:10 p.m. MT at the Broadmoor International Center. Their discussion will inform the audience of industry, government, researchers and academia on the value of collaboration with NRL and AFRL.

AFRL programs

At the Space Symposium, AFRL will highlight a variety of space programs and technologies including Space Solar Power Incremental Demonstrations and Research Project, or SSPIDR; Hack-A-Sat; and Quantum Microscope; and Tactically Responsive Space Access, or TRSA.

SSPIDR is a series of integrated demonstrations and technology maturation efforts at the AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate to develop space-based solar power collection and transmission capabilities. AFRL’s develops and matures technologies to benefit the warfighter. One benefit of the SSPIDR is to eliminate costly and dangerous convoys by enabling the relocation of those supply lines to space, which could save countless lives.

NTS-3 is the U.S. Space Force’s GPS constellation providing unprecedented position and timing accuracy to the warfighter. Since the inception of GPS, it has become a global utility with commercial use far outweighing military use. Air traffic control, banking, farming and cellular networks all depend on uninterrupted GPS coverage. The next experimental navigation satellite will push the boundary of today’s position, navigation and timing technology to pave the way for a more flexible, robust and resilient architecture for satellite navigation technology.

Hack-A-Sat is a capture-the-flag style of hacking competition, designed to inspire the world’s top cybersecurity talent to develop the skills necessary to help reduce vulnerabilities and build more secure space systems. Everything including GPS, financial transactions, air traffic control and beyond, depends on space systems that can be vulnerable to attack. Hack-A-Sat builds a non-traditional community of security researchers, government, industry and academia working together to inform and improve the cyber resilience of ground and in orbit space systems.

AFRL is using Neuromorphic Intelligent Computing Systems to research processing power to enable use of edge artificial intelligence and machine learning to give military operators analytical results, not raw data, to speed wartime decision making. Neuromorphic computing architectures are necessary to achieve advanced and new capabilities in pattern recognition, event reasoning, robust decision making, adaptive learning and autonomous tasking for energy efficient agile Air Force platforms.

The Neuromorphic Camera known as FalconNeuro is an experiment flying on the international Space Station designed and built by cadets and faculty at the Space Physics and Atmospheric Research Center at the U.S. Air Force Academy, or USAFA. Falcon Neuro demonstrates for the first time the use of biologically inspired event-based, or neuromorphic cameras for use in space. USAFA, in collaboration with researchers from the International Centre for Neuromorphic Systems at Western Sydney University, are using biology-inspired neuromorphic technologies for both ground imaging and to better understand space and high atmospheric weather phenomena.

Entangled photons provide a unique analytical tool to accomplish difficult sensing tasks supported by the Quantum Optical Microscope. Using quantum states of light opens new avenues to enhance the performance and vision of the warfighter. This ultralow light intensity quantum microscope with novel diagnostic capabilities can be used for sensing and recognition of microscopic structures, as well as for obtaining unique information on biological samples. This amazing work is provided by researchers from University of Michigan, Texas A&M University and University of Queensland, and supported by the basic research effort at AFRL.

TRSA is a process of maturing and demonstrating advanced rocket propulsion and space access technologies with commercial and government partners to enable TRSA. The goal is to facilitate USSF space access that is resilient, survivable, rapid and responsive, while ensuring relevant timelines and supporting a vibrant and stable launch market.

Oracle, formerly known as Cislunar Highway Patrol System, provides space situational awareness, object detection and tracking in the region of the moon, supporting a resurgence of interest in lunar exploration and development across civil, commercial and international space agencies as part of a collaborative effort between the AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate and the Transformational Capabilities Office.

Representatives from AFRL’s new Strategic Partnering Directorate will be on hand to discuss science and technology challenges, grants and other opportunities. The new directorate is comprised of Small Business Directorate and Plans and Programs Partnerships division, or XPP, which allows them to capitalize on external S&T innovations, leading to future capabilities addressing warfighter challenges. One goal of the new directorate is to simplify accessibility to partnership opportunities for external entities and streamline internal workforce training.

Powered by AFRL, SpaceWERX is the U.S. Space Force-affiliated arm of the AFWERX team, focuses on advancing innovative technologies for USSF Guardians and expanding the space industrial space by guiding additional partners, leveraging commercial investment and rapidly pursuing new technologies, while closely aligning its efforts with space operators and acquisition professionals within the USSF. Innovators can visit Space Force Tech Connect, where users can submit ideas and capabilities to AFRL subject matter experts for potential feedback, collaborations and opportunities.

To view the agenda and register for the 2023 National Space Symposium, visit https://spacesymposium.org/.

About AFRL

The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 11,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com.