Tactical Funding Increase Awarded to Phase Four by AFWERX
AFWERX has awarded a Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) contract in the amount of $4.26 million to Phase Four focused on developing a Propellant Decomposition Chamber for propellant-agnostic electric propulsion.
"We are proud of the Department of the Air Force's continued support and recognition of Phase Four's leadership in developing American-made satellite propulsion systems with high performance and propellant-agnostic capabilities."
Jason Wallace, Phase Four
The tactical funding increase will address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution.
The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now Phase Four will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
"We are proud of the Department of the Air Force's continued support and recognition of Phase Four's leadership in developing American-made satellite propulsion systems with high performance and propellant-agnostic capabilities," said Phase Four's Vice President of Advanced Development, Jason Wallace.
Tactical Funding Increase will Support Phase Four Production
Phase Four is developing a new paradigm of in-space propulsion for the rapidly expanding space economy. From large constellations in LEO to new missions and cutting-edge capabilities, the Phase Four team is the key to mission success. They are focused, innovative and passionate about space.
Phase Four’s Maxwell RF thrusters do not implement cathodes anywhere in the system. This eliminates the choke point slowing down manufacturing of traditional plasma propulsion systems.
Phase Four builds its RF Thrusters in runs on a planned production schedule. This allows customers to sign up for units as long as the production run has not commenced, reducing lead times to as short as 3-4 months. The company aims for 3-4 production runs per year and each run is comprised of assembly, checkout, and acceptance testing.
(Source: Phase Four news release. Images from file)