June 4, 2021 Department of the Air Force announces fourth Vanguard program Under the Rocket Cargo Vanguard, the Air Force Research Laboratory will lead a science and technology effort to determine the viability and utility of using large commercial rockets for Department of Defense global logistics, potentially expanding the portfolio of capabilities the USSF presents to
June 1, 2021 AFRL Materials Characterization Facility pushes state of the art The Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base recently renovated their materials characterization facility to meet the ever-advancing needs of materials research.
May 25, 2021 AFRL researcher’s passion for hypersonics propels his success WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) – An AFRL researcher's early interest in the applications of math to real-world problems, inspired by a passionate high school teacher, set him on the path to a career in aeronautics and a need for speed.1st Lt. Jonathan “Luke” was raised by two parents
May 3, 2021 Washington State Patrol pilots successfully test special laser eye protection developed at Wright-Patterson Lab Aiming a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime that can net offenders up to five years in jail or cost them a $250,000 fine. Even with this heavy potential penalty, laser strikes have become increasingly more common. According to the FAA, 6,852 such incidents were reported in 2020, compared with
April 26, 2021 AFRL Materials scientist receives NextFlex 2021 Fellow Award Dr. Jeremy Ward, a scientist at Wright-Patterson’s Air Force Research Laboratory, has received a 2021 Fellow Award from NextFlex, America’s Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE) Manufacturing Institute. Ward was one of four recipients.
April 21, 2021 AFRL testing made Perseverance, the search for life on Mars possible On February 18, 2021, NASA’s rover Perseverance touched down on the surface of Mars to begin searching for evidence of past life. The success of this touchdown would not have been possible without the work of a team of researchers who operate unique erosion testing equipment in a windowless bunker
April 15, 2021 Team from Air Force Research Lab finds a way to use packaged snow as explosion protection In March 2021, a team from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base’s Junior Force Warfighter Operations in the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate (designated “JFWORX”) led a collaborative, live-fire test with explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) personnel from the 354th Civil Engineer Squadron at Eielson
April 2, 2021 AFRL approves Cooperative Research and Development Agreement for silicon photonics The Air Force Research Laboratory recently approved a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between its Nanoelectronic Materials Branch and Iris Light Technologies. The collaboration will be working to develop hybrid silicon lasers. Sometimes called the “holy grail of optoelectronics,”
March 19, 2021 AFRL researchers demonstrate record-breaking RF isolator performance in ultra-compact device As the USAF continues with the unrelenting pursuit of driving down the size, weight and power of radio frequency (RF) components, the inherent challenges in these types of technologies are compounded. The typical difficulties of making smaller mechanical and physical components, however, are dwarfed
March 4, 2021 AFRL launches collaborative biosensor effort to detect stress, fatigue biomarkers The Air Force Research Laboratory recently kicked off a $2 million partnership with Case Western Reserve University. The joint project will accelerate biosensor development, with an emphasis on the detection of biomarkers for stress and fatigue.