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Space

iRocket Wins AFWERX Funding for Reusable Rocket Engine Development

By Rachel Jewett

Wednesday, July 5th, 2023

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iRocket Wins AFWERX Funding for Reusable Rocket Engine Development

iRocket engine test with thrust augmentation. Photo: iRocket

The U.S. Space Force has awarded iRocket $1.8 million in further funding on a Phase II SBIR contract to develop its reusable rocket engine. iRocket — Innovative Rocket Technologies Inc. — is developing the Shockwave launch vehicle for frequent reuse. The award is funded through AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Air Force. It is a Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) continuing from a July 2020 Phase II SBIR contract. Under that contract, iRocket demonstrated three operation modes of its booster engine: augmented, unaugmented, and landing…

Congress

Pentagon Fiscal 2027 Budget To Address Cannibalization Of Parts For F-35, Legislator Says

The Pentagon’s upcoming fiscal 2027 budget request will help reduce the cannibalization of parts for the F-35 fighter by Lockheed Martin [LMT], the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s […]

Budget

Trump’s $1.15 Trillion Request For DoD Is The ‘New Normal,” HASC Chairman Says

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—The Trump administration’s nearly $1.2 trillion baseline defense budget request for fiscal year 2027 will be adopted and will be the foundation for the “new normal” going forward, […]

Congress

Trump Wants Second Reconciliation Bill On His Desk By June 1

President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Congress to pass and send a second reconciliation bill to his desk by June 1. The deadline follows congressional Republicans’ backing a pursuit […]

Space

Upgrading Current GPS Ground System “Now a Viable Option,” As GPS OCX Problems Continue, Space Official Says

Upgrades to the GPS ground system–the Architecture Evolution Plan (AEP)–is an option under consideration by the Defense Department’s space acquisition chief, as problems continue in fielding the GPS Next Generation […]