Air Force Research Lab Demonstrates Rocket Cargo Delivery

The Air Force Research Laboratory tested the Rocket Cargo project's point-to-point delivery capabilities during a commercial rideshare launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, Oct. 20.

Rocket Cargo is a research and development project to determine the viability of using large commercial rockets to rapidly deliver materiel anywhere in the world. The recent test used a SpaceX capsule with instrumentation to measure temperature, shock and vibration; it carried agile cargo pod designs built for various delivery loads.

"Any day you launch a rocket is a good day, but today was more than just another big rocket launch," said Air Force Brig. Gen. Douglas P. Wickert, research lab commander. "Today's launch was another demonstration of how [the lab] is partnering with industry to [eliminate] risk, collect hard data and deliver war-winning technologies for the operational force."

Using a SpaceX capsule, the research lab personnel analyzed the lab-developed agile cargo pods used to transport materiel through space. Each pod contained mission equipment and environmental sensors to evaluate payload integrity during launch and reentry.

Researchers paid special attention to the electronics equipment, including a satellite communication-enabled tracker, batteries, a reverse osmosis desalinator, survival gear and emergency medical equipment. In addition, engineers measured the capsule to potentially include a life raft in future tests.

"This was a critical achievement to demonstrate the potential of Rocket Cargo delivery for point-to-point rapid global mobility for the future force," said Adam Remaly, the lab's Technology Transition Office director. "The cross-discipline collaborations and ability to unleash the speed of our defense industrial base are key to maximizing capability and winning the future."

A key difference between the Rocket Cargo project and similar efforts is its larger total cargo-delivery capacity per launch. For the joint force, this could one day support rapid global mobility to contested environments and austere sites without access to runways and roads, including contested logistics, expeditionary operations, rescue operations, disaster relief and response to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear hazards.

Iterative testing will help deliver critical cargo at speed and scale to any point on the globe. The Air Force Research Lab is working with multiple commercial vendors and small businesses for near-term solutions. The team is also exploring options to leverage commercial investment in launch vehicles, as well as commercial capsule reentry technologies for in-space manufacturing.

The lab continues to assess rocket and reentry capsule capabilities across the commercial vendor base and is exploring potential uses for transporting critical War Department materiel.