Project 633834
$47.4MFY2027 request ▲ 3%Integrated Space Technology Demonstrations
FY2025 actual$206.5M
FY2026 enacted$46.0M
FY2027 request$47.4M
FY2027 Request
$126.4M
▼ 19% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$155.3M
▼ 37% vs FY2025
FY2025 Actual
$246.0M
Prior year
Roll-up of 5 projects. Projects are the summable leaves — the PE total is their sum, never added to it.
For fiscal year 2027, the U.S. Space Force is requesting $126.4M for Space Advanced Technology Development/Demo under RDT&E program element 1206616SF, down 19% from FY2026.
Funding trajectory
Funding profile, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure.
Actual Enacted Request Outyear (FYDP)
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 246.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 155.3 |
| FY2027 | Request | 126.4 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 109.7 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 109.8 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 112.3 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 114.6 |
Where it sits
Acquisition lifecycle
This program is funded in RDT&E Budget Activity 3 — Advanced Technology Development.
Complete
Research
BA 1–2
Current
Advanced Technology
BA 3
Later
Prototyping
BA 4
Later
Development & Fielding
BA 5–7
Inside the program element
5 projects roll up into PE 1206616SF
Projects are the summable leaves — the PE total is their sum, never added to it. Program elements and projects carry the full five-year plan; activities stop at the budget year. This PE moves -19% overall, which can hide much larger swings below.
Project 634868
$41.1MFY2027 request ▼ 17%Maui Space Surveillance System
FY2025 actual$19.5M
FY2026 enacted$49.3M
FY2027 request$41.1M
Project 630321
$20.3MFY2027 request ▼ 43%Space Warfighter Technologist Capabilities
FY2025 actual$0.0M
FY2026 enacted$35.4M
FY2027 request$20.3M
Project 634922
$17.6MFY2027 request ▼ 11%Space & Missile Rocket Propulsion
FY2025 actual$15.3M
FY2026 enacted$19.7M
FY2027 request$17.6M
Project 63682J
$0.0MFY2027 request ▼ 100%Spacecraft Vehicles
FY2025 actual$4.7M
FY2026 enacted$4.9M
FY2027 request$0.0M
Congressional action
Congressional marks
Committee marks on the FY2027 request. Adds and cuts are reconciled in conference before they become law.
RequestPresident's Budget
$126.4M
House NDAA (HASC)HASC
$139.9M +$13.5M · +11%
Senate NDAA (SASC)SASC
$126.4M full · +$0
House Approps (HAC-D)HAC_D
$189.6M +$63.2M · +50%
▲ $63.2M chamber gap — unresolved as of 2026-07-27. These are FY2027 authorization marks (NDAA); appropriations and the conference agreement may differ.
Program detail
Mission & acquisition strategy
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is developing and demonstrating Space Advanced Technology Development/Demo (Projects 630321, 633834, 634868, 634922, and 63682J) to support Guardians across Science & Technology and Test & Evaluation. The effects of our efforts will ensure that we have improved readiness across the force for Science & Technology and Test & Evaluation. This program focuses on five major areas. First, the Space Warfighter Technologist Capabilities area, practices to accelerate moving emerging technologies into the hands of the warfighter.
Project 633834, 634868, 630321, 634922, 63682J — Integrated Space Technology Demonstrations
Ask Hitch
Ask this program element
Answers are generated from the figures on this page — the FY2027 justification exhibits and the marks tracked above — and nothing else is consulted. Confirm any figure against the cited exhibit before you use it externally.
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Questions this page can answer
How does the FY2027 request compare with FY2026, and what does the five-year plan show?What did the FY2027 NDAA committees do to this request?Which project inside PE 1206616SF is growing fastest, and which is shrinking?In plain terms, what is this program element for and how is it being acquired?
This page carries the budget justification and the NDAA marks — nothing else. For what a contractor has actually been obligated, the ledger is at hitchintel.com/vendors; for live solicitations, hitchintel.com/opportunities. Both are member surfaces.
Provenance
Cite this page
Sources
FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification · Exhibits R-2 / R-3 · PE 1206616SF (President's Budget PB2027) — and FY2027 NDAA committee marks, as tracked 2026-07-27.
Suggested citation
HitchAI, "Space Advanced Technology Development/Demo (PE 1206616SF)," federal budget intelligence, PB2027 vintage. hitchintel.com/programs/1206616SF
Machine access
Markdown twin
/programs/1206616SF.md · MCP mcp.hitchintel.com → budget_get_program_element, budget_get_cong_marksFY2027 Request
$47.4M
▲ 3.1% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$46.0M
▼ 78% vs FY2025
FY2025 Actual
$206.5M
Prior year
Integrated Space Technology Demonstrations — one RDT&E project inside PE 1206616SF. Congressional marks are recorded on the program element, not on a project.
Project 633834 — Integrated Space Technology Demonstrations — requests $47.4M in FY2027, 38% of the $126.4M requested for program element 1206616SF. Year over year it grows 3.1% against FY2026.
Funding trajectory
Project 633834 funding, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
Actual Enacted Request Outyear (FYDP)
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 206.5 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 46.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 47.4 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 48.0 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 47.8 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 48.9 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 49.9 |
Inside the project
10 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan — and they are descriptive: coverage is partial and they do not always add back to the project, so count them, never total them. Opening lines only here — the full year-by-year narrative is on the project page.
FY2025 actual$30.4M
FY2026 enacted$18.1M
FY2027 request$21.4M
Continue: - Demonstrate technologies for future proliferated systems through small satellite experiments with a mission focus of designing, building, and testing aimed at increasing the resiliency of space assets, technologies, and missions to emerging threats. - Integrate commercial, allied, and government space networks command and…
Read the FY2027 plan →Transformational Technology Development
FY2025 actual$23.1M
FY2026 enacted$0.0M
FY2027 request$0.0M
Not Applicable
Rocket Cargo
FY2025 actual$44.7M
FY2026 enacted$0.0M
FY2027 request$0.0M
Not Applicable
Navigation Technology Satellite 3 (NTS-3)
FY2025 actual$7.2M
FY2026 enacted$0.0M
FY2027 request$0.0M
Not Applicable
Modeling and Simulation Tools for Space Applications▼ 21%
FY2025 actual$4.8M
FY2026 enacted$3.4M
FY2027 request$2.7M
Continue: - Mission-level military utility analyses of technology and associated architectures across multi-domain mission areas and development of high-fidelity models/test environments which incorporate essential aspects of the space-domain. - Refining guidelines and checkpoints for concept maturation evaluations in context of emerging…
Agile Space Operations Technology▼ 1%
FY2025 actual$1.1M
FY2026 enacted$2.2M
FY2027 request$2.2M
Continue: -Focus on exploratory application development and transition of emerging software technologies to space operators. -Refining an agile software development environment in collaboration with United States Space Force (USSF)/S6 (Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Cyber and Data) to perform agile software development and delivery…
FY2025 actual$27.3M
FY2026 enacted$12.8M
FY2027 request$13.5M
Continue: -Engagement with cislunar space community to coordinate test events, collect available data, and drive a whole of government approach to cislunar situational awareness. -AI&T of the satellite system. Complete: -Delivery of the Satellite Bus for system integration and test. -Cislunar data analysis software and cloud-based ground…
Read the FY2027 plan →Modular Open SatNav ArchitectureNEW
FY2025 actual—
FY2026 enacted$0.0M
FY2027 request$3.4M
Continue: - Mature secure software nodes for user equipment. - Validate integration of interfaces for Lightweight SatNav implementation with potential LEO demo satellites. - Engagement with US Government, Allied and Commercial communities to coordinate test events, collect available data, and drive a whole of government approach to…
Manufacturing for Space Systems▼ 21%
FY2025 actual$2.2M
FY2026 enacted$1.5M
FY2027 request$1.2M
Complete: - Investigate methods to reduce manufacturing lead time for in-space maneuverability - Investigate yield improvements and cost reduction on space-based sensors. Continue: - Install and optimize a production line to manufacture multifunctional layer formulations and ultimately produce multilayer radiation shields to supply cost…
Advanced Materials for Spacecraft Resilienceflat
FY2025 actual$2.7M
FY2026 enacted$3.0M
FY2027 request$3.0M
Continue: -Development of resilient materials for spacecraft structures. Evaluate materials in simulated space environments to down select for further development. -Investigate environmental compatibility of materials at low earth orbit and other orbital regimes in representative and realistic environments.
Project detail
What project 633834 buys
This project is a series of advanced technology demonstrations designed to address mission needs by applying emerging technologies from the Air Force Research Laboratory, other United States government laboratories, and industry. These technologies are integrated into system-level demonstrations that are used to test, evaluate, and validate the technologies in a relevant environment. This project includes the development and demonstration of programs addressing Department of the Air Force (DAF) capability gaps.
FY2027 Request
$41.1M
▼ 17% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$49.3M
▲ 153% vs FY2025
FY2025 Actual
$19.5M
Prior year
Maui Space Surveillance System — one RDT&E project inside PE 1206616SF. Congressional marks are recorded on the program element, not on a project.
Project 634868 — Maui Space Surveillance System — requests $41.1M in FY2027, 33% of the $126.4M requested for program element 1206616SF. Year over year it falls 17% against FY2026.
Funding trajectory
Project 634868 funding, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
Actual Enacted Request Outyear (FYDP)
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 19.5 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 49.3 |
| FY2027 | Request | 41.1 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 21.8 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 21.8 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 22.1 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 22.5 |
Inside the project
1 accomplishment / planned program
The R-2A exhibit. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan — and they are descriptive: coverage is partial and they do not always add back to the project, so count them, never total them. Opening lines only here — the full year-by-year narrative is on the project page.
FY2025 actual$19.5M
FY2026 enacted$31.3M
FY2027 request$41.1M
Continue: - Modernizing the Maui Space Surveillance System (MSSS) research and development (R&D) facilities and experimental equipment to remain in mission-ready state to mature space surveillance technology into combat-relevant capability that contributes to Combat Forces Command (CFC)'s operational mission (focus on effective…
Read the FY2027 plan →Project detail
What project 634868 buys
This program funds ground-based optical space situational awareness technology development and demonstration at the Maui Space Surveillance System (MSSS) in Hawaii, as well as the operation and upgrade of the experimental equipment and facilities. Efforts in this program have been coordinated through the Department of War Science and Technology Executive Committee process to harmonize efforts and eliminate duplication.
FY2027 Request
$20.3M
▼ 43% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$35.4M
No FY2025 funding
FY2025 Actual
$0.0M
Prior year
Space Warfighter Technologist Capabilities — one RDT&E project inside PE 1206616SF. Congressional marks are recorded on the program element, not on a project.
Project 630321 — Space Warfighter Technologist Capabilities — requests $20.3M in FY2027, 16% of the $126.4M requested for program element 1206616SF. Year over year it falls 43% against FY2026.
Funding trajectory
Project 630321 funding, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
Actual Enacted Request Outyear (FYDP)
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 0.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 35.4 |
| FY2027 | Request | 20.3 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 21.4 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 21.4 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 22.0 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 22.5 |
Inside the project
4 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan — and they are descriptive: coverage is partial and they do not always add back to the project, so count them, never total them. Opening lines only here — the full year-by-year narrative is on the project page.
Rocket Cargo▼ 73%
FY2025 actual$0.0M
FY2026 enacted$8.6M
FY2027 request$2.4M
Complete: - Airdrop S&T on the payload mid-air system deployment capabilities from an airdropped container or capsule system. - Quantitative S&T assessment of the rocket detectability and vulnerability, anchored with rocket flight data, to determine implications for military missions; incorporate these details into detailed mission…
Navigation Technology Satellite 3 (NTS-3)▼ 81%
FY2025 actual$0.0M
FY2026 enacted$4.5M
FY2027 request$0.8M
Complete: - Transition of the system for residual use. - Experimental data analysis and composition of final report. Commence and complete: - Follow-on experimentation needed to validate and finalize planned experiments. - Additional experimentation and testing for Modular Open SatNav Architecture.
FY2025 actual$0.0M
FY2026 enacted$20.9M
FY2027 request$16.5M
Complete: - Studies of capsule payload flight environments in the air and space domain, from capsule spacedrop to payload delivery. - Analyses of re-entry communications and plasma black-out. Commence: - Testing to inform a quantitative S&T assessment of a multi-ton prototype capsule reentry aerodynamics, re-entry communications during…
Read the FY2027 plan →Transformational Technology Development▼ 54%
FY2025 actual$0.0M
FY2026 enacted$1.4M
FY2027 request$0.7M
Continue: - Spaceflight experiment on multi-agent autonomy and on-orbit refueling capabilities to demonstrate dynamic space operations capabilities and advanced on-board autonomy. - Development of next-generation Space Domain Awareness technologies to augment operators and improve timeliness and throughput. - Development of space data…
Project detail
What project 630321 buys
This Project is a concentrated effort to improve Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) business practices to accelerate moving emerging technologies into the hands of the warfighter. Vanguard efforts draw the operational, acquisitions, and technology communities together into coherent teams to solve the hard Science & Technology (S&T) problems based on Department of the Air Force (DAF) strategic priorities which do not have readily available emerging technology solutions. Teams follow a disciplined process tailorable to accelerate efforts as deemed necessary by the department. This process (known as WARTECH, for WARfighter / TECHnologist) leverages discrete progress gates to deliver S&T efforts organized as Vanguard Pathfinders, Vanguard Prospects, and Vanguards. This construct organizes these multi-disciplinary, capability-focused investments based on characteristics such as effort maturity, established military utility, technical viability and transitionability. Each have built-in off-ramps to promote transition. The process is overseen by an Executive Committee.
FY2027 Request
$17.6M
▼ 11% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$19.7M
▲ 28% vs FY2025
FY2025 Actual
$15.3M
Prior year
Space & Missile Rocket Propulsion — one RDT&E project inside PE 1206616SF. Congressional marks are recorded on the program element, not on a project.
Project 634922 — Space & Missile Rocket Propulsion — requests $17.6M in FY2027, 14% of the $126.4M requested for program element 1206616SF. Year over year it falls 11% against FY2026.
Funding trajectory
Project 634922 funding, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
Actual Enacted Request Outyear (FYDP)
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 15.3 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 19.7 |
| FY2027 | Request | 17.6 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 18.4 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 18.9 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 19.3 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 19.7 |
Inside the project
2 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan — and they are descriptive: coverage is partial and they do not always add back to the project, so count them, never total them. Opening lines only here — the full year-by-year narrative is on the project page.
Space Access Propulsion Technologies
FY2025 actual$2.7M
FY2026 enacted$0.0M
FY2027 request$0.0M
Not applicable
FY2025 actual$12.6M
FY2026 enacted$16.7M
FY2027 request$17.6M
Continue: -Develop, demonstrate and transition experimental, modeling, simulation, and theoretical efforts for advanced thruster development with emphasis on flight logistics and thruster lifetimes for rapid and agile design of spacecraft propulsion options. Activities include development of models for total on-orbit asset lifetime based…
Read the FY2027 plan →Project detail
What project 634922 buys
This project develops and demonstrates advanced liquid rocket engine technologies, components, engines, and integrated systems for launch vehicles. Characteristics such as environmental acceptability, affordability, reliability, responsiveness, reduced weight, and reduced operation and launch costs are emphasized. The objective is to reduce costs, simplify manufacturability, increase performance and life/reusability, as well as payload lift capability. Additionally, this project investigates and demonstrates technologies that will improve responsiveness and resiliency of space access systems and launch infrastructure. This project also develops and demonstrates solar electric, electric, chemical, and advanced propulsion technologies, for station-keeping, repositioning, and orbit transfer for satellites and satellite constellations. This effort develops technologies for flexible, responsive in-space maneuver in all orbit regimes. These technologies are critical to expanding Space Force's capability to deliver capabilities resiliently and responsively in, to, and through space. This project further develops and demonstrates the next generation of physics-based modeling, simulation, and analysis (MS&A) tools for rapid and agile space access and in-space propulsion design, analysis, and production, as well as the digital engineering concepts to manage the entire process of design, test, and validation of space access and in-space systems. This project secures National Unique Testing Assets, providing unmatched capabilities that underpin technological leadership and ensure the safety and security of our nation. All efforts in this project contribute to the sustainment and growth of the space and rocket propulsion industry, providing space access and in-space propulsion technology for the entire Department of War (DoW). Technologies under this project enable capabilities of interest to DoW, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and growing Space community. The efforts in this project are reviewed by a DoW level steering committee annually for relevance to DoW missions, and the associated support costs.
FY2027 Request
$0.0M
▼ 100% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$4.9M
▲ 5.3% vs FY2025
FY2025 Actual
$4.7M
Prior year
Spacecraft Vehicles — one RDT&E project inside PE 1206616SF. Congressional marks are recorded on the program element, not on a project.
Project 63682J — Spacecraft Vehicles — requests $0.0M in FY2027, 0.0% of the $126.4M requested for program element 1206616SF. Year over year it falls 100% against FY2026.
Funding trajectory
Project 63682J funding, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
Actual Enacted Request Outyear (FYDP)
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 4.7 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 4.9 |
| FY2027 | Request | 0.0 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 0.0 |
Inside the project
1 accomplishment / planned program
The R-2A exhibit. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan — and they are descriptive: coverage is partial and they do not always add back to the project, so count them, never total them.
Space Communication Technologies▼ 100%
FY2025 actual$4.7M
FY2026 enacted$4.9M
FY2027 request$0.0M
FY2027 planned work Evaluation of commercial technologies in W/V band determined industry partners have adopted W/V band technologies and there exist commercial options for W/V band links to/from Low Earth Orbit (LEO), reducing the burden on Department of the Air Force to "path find” in these bands. There are ongoing Science and Technology applied research efforts for W/V band communications that are being addressed within the existing resources in PE 1206601SF, Space Technology, Project 624846, Spacecraft Payload Technologies under the Space Communication/Positioning, Navigation and Timing Technologies Effort. FY2027 plans for funding previously budgeted for this effort are realigned under Project 633834…
FY2026 to FY2027 change FY2027 decreased compared to FY2026 by $4.906 million due to the W/V band experiment completing. The FY2027 funds were realigned within this Program Element 1206616SF/ Space Advanced Technology Development/Demo to Project 633834/ Integrated Space Technology Demonstrations to address priority technology needs within the Department of the Air Force (DAF). Specific FY2027 plans are outlined under the Cislunar Space Situational Awareness Effort.
FY2026 plans — current year Continue: -On-orbit W/V-band beacon experiment, including mission support, transmission of test signals, operation of ground receiver terminals, collection, analysis, and archiving of data, monitoring of environmental conditions, analysis of environmental impacts on W/V propagation, and updating/development/refining of models. -Operation of outdoor bi-directional terrestrial communications link, as well as collection, analysis, and archiving of data, monitoring of environmental conditions, and analysis of environmental impacts on W/V propagation. -Collaboration with commercial and allied partners to obtain and analyze W/V band data and identify test and experimentation events of mutual…
Project detail
What project 63682J buys
This project develops and demonstrates technologies critical to addressing documented military satellite communications capability gaps and top-ranked United States Space Force (USSF) and/or Space Systems Command (SSC) technology needs.