# Otter

**R-2A activity** of project ACX-01 — ADVANCED COMPLEX SYSTEMS  
**Program element:** 0603468E — Advanced Complex Systems  
**Component:** Defense-Wide · **Budget Activity:** 3  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603468E/ACX-01/a3  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603468E/ACX-01

## Summary

This activity requests $47.7M in FY2027, 9.5% of project ACX-01, up 33% on FY2026. The R-2A exhibit describes it across FY2026–FY2027, including what the FY2027 money is planned to buy.

## What the FY2027 request buys

**FY2027 planned work.** - Continue to conduct flight hardware acceptance testing for the propulsion system. - Continue to integrate the developed propulsion systems with the air harvesting inlets. - Continue conducting environmental qualification tests for the air harvesting inlets. - Finalizing ground software build and testing. - Finalizing flight software build and testing. - Integrate the satellite onto the launch provider. - Launch of the satellite.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** The FY 2027 increase reflects the shift from design and build activities to final satellite integration, launch and on orbit demonstration.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Conduct flight hardware acceptance testing for the propulsion system. - Integrate the developed propulsion systems with the air harvesting inlets. - Conduct environmental qualification tests for the air harvesting inlets. - Continue ground software build and testing. - Continue flight software build and testing. - Kick-off the launch services partner process.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | Enacted | 35.8 |
| FY2027 | Request | 47.7 |

> Prior, current and budget year only — an R-2A activity carries no five-year plan. It sums exactly into its project in the request year and not necessarily in any other.

## Other activities in project ACX-01

- [Longshot](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603468E/ACX-01/a1) — FY2027 151.5
- [Advanced Complex Systems Studies and Concepts](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603468E/ACX-01/a11) — FY2027 62.3
- [SPeed and Runway INdependent Technologies (SPRINT) X-Plane Demonstration Project](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603468E/ACX-01/a2) — FY2027 62.1
- [Scaled Hypersonics Studies and Concepts](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603468E/ACX-01/a10) — FY2027 56.0
- Valley Forge — FY2027 37.1
- [Artificial Intelligence (AI) Reinforcements (AIR)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603468E/ACX-01/a4) — FY2027 32.2
- More Opportunities with HAWC (MoHAWC) — FY2027 20.0
- [Process Intensified Energetics (PIE)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603468E/ACX-01/a7) — FY2027 13.0
- Lunar Assay via Small Satellite Orbiter (LASSO) — FY2027 8.9
- Rubble to Rockets (R2) — FY2027 7.5
- Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) — FY2027 1.7
- DARPA Lift Challenge — FY2027 —
- Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) — FY2027 —

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Office of the Secretary of Defense RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0603468E project ACX-01 (PB PB2027). Narrative is the government's own text.
- **No marks, no contractors at this grain** — congressional marks land on the program element and R-3 performers on the project.
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_activity`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*