July 23, 2026 AFRL, NASA partner to test lunar landing safety; active-duty volunteers needed To ensure the safety of future space explorers, the Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing is seeking active-duty military volunteers for a collaborative study with NASA to evaluate the impact forces astronauts could experience while standing during a lunar landing.
July 21, 2026 AFRL's C-STARS Omaha prepares to train USPHS personnel for Ebola response deployment As the Ebola outbreak continues to challenge public health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo, medical experts from the Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing (711 HPW) are posturing to provide critical pre-deployment training for U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS)
July 16, 2026 VENOM program progresses to piloted flights, autonomy tests A solo F-16 Fighting Falcon test pilot taxis through the Florida humidity toward a mission take off for the 96th Test Wing.
July 14, 2026 Air Force Research Laboratory initiatives strengthen warfighting connections AFRL’s new “Operationalize the Lab” initiative immerses early-career science and technology (S&T) leaders in operational environments to strengthen their understanding of the warfighting mission and the impact of their work. This initiative is part of AFRL’s overarching strategy to tightly align S&T
July 10, 2026 AFWERX innovation transitions from fighter cockpits to NASA spaceflight A quality-of-life system originally developed to support military aviators has expanded beyond the cockpit and into orbit, demonstrating how AFWERX accelerated an operational need into a solution that now supports both Airmen and NASA astronauts.
June 22, 2026 AFRL’s 711th Human Performance Wing supports hantavirus response in Omaha When a charter flight carrying Americans exposed to a rare and potentially deadly hantavirus landed in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 11, 2026, Air Force medical professionals from the Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing were already in place supporting the response.
June 4, 2026 AFRL welcomes new commander during change of command ceremony The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, welcomed its newest commander, Brig. Gen. Douglas Wickert, during a change of command ceremony at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, June 3, 2026.
May 1, 2026 AFRL enhances Artemis II mission success with expertise, facilities The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, contributed technological developments and unique testing facilities to support NASA’s historic Artemis II mission to return humans to the moon. From centrifuge training to advanced materials to facilitating industry partnerships, AFRL’s contributions are
April 29, 2026 AFWERX, SpaceWERX open new SBIR/STTR solicitations following reauthorization AFWERX and SpaceWERX have opened new Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer solicitations following passage of the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act, which reauthorizes the programs through fiscal year 2031.AFWERX and SpaceWERX are divisions of
April 28, 2026 AFRL honors 2025 Fellows, Early Career Award winners WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio — The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) recognized 20 of its top scientists and engineers who each received the 2025 AFRL Fellows or Science and Engineering Early Career Awards (ECA) honors during an award ceremony held March 31, 2026, at the National Museum