# Payload Delivery System

**R-2A activity** of project 630321 — Space Warfighter Technologist Capabilities  
**Program element:** 1206616SF — Space Advanced Technology Development/Demo  
**Component:** U.S. Space Force · **Budget Activity:** 3  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206616SF/630321/a2  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206616SF/630321

## Summary

This activity requests $16.5M in FY2027, 81% of project 630321, down 21% 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.** 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 hypersonic flight, and rapid atmospheric deceleration. - Testing to assess detectability, survivability, and ground operations for tactical payload delivery. - Analyses of capsule compatibility and integration with multiple vendor launch systems and multiple launch sites.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** FY 2027 funding decreased compared to FY 2027 by $4.394 million due to completion of high-cost design and development activities, including assessments of capsule spacedrop, reentry aerodynamics and heating, and stability.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Complete: - Design and development of a multi-ton prototype capsule for demonstration of spacedrop, re-entry, and cargo deployment concepts for air/land/sea. - Modeling and simulation of the capsule re-entry aerodynamics, stability, heating, and technologies for rapid hypersonic deceleration. Commence: - Studies of capsule payload environments and survivability, from spacedrop to payload delivery. - Analyses of re-entry communications and plasma black-out.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 0.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 20.9 |
| FY2027 | Request | 16.5 |

> 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 630321

- Rocket Cargo — FY2027 2.4
- Navigation Technology Satellite 3 (NTS-3) — FY2027 0.8
- Transformational Technology Development — FY2027 0.7

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 1206616SF project 630321 (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.*