The Laboratory is the Air Force's focal point for all space- and missile-related research and technology, including geophysics, propulsion, space vehicles, survivability, and directed-energy weapons. The Laboratory has nearly 1,700 military and civilian employees at three locations: Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico; Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts; and Edwards Air Force Base, California.
Phillips Laboratory, one of the Air Force's four super laboratories, is set up to allow exploitation of the technologies involved in developing spacecraft, ballistic missiles, and directed-energy weapons. The Laboratory places a great emphasis on integrating and transitioning its research technology into military systems, which are used by operational commands and maintained by Air Force Materiel Command.
With a budget of approximately $600 million this year, the Phillips Laboratory conducts its research through six main technical directorates: propulsion, geophysics, space and missiles technology, lasers and imaging, advanced weapons and survivability, and space experiments.
The Directorate of Space Experiments plans, manages and conducts space experiments in a ground, balloon-borne, aircraft or space mode. Also included are related ground acceptance and space/launch environmental testing.
Researchers in the Space and Missiles Technology Directorate focus their work on spacecraft structures, power and thermal management, sensors, and electronics.
The Propulsion Directorate focuses on advanced concepts involving motors, propellants and test techniques. Most of this work is performed by Phillips Laboratory employees at Edwards Air Force Base.
The Geophysics Directorate conducts research to further Air Force understanding of the environment between the Earth and Sun and its effects on systems and operations. This work is conducted by Phillips Laboratory people at Hanscom Air Force Base.
Core technologies for the Lasers and Imaging Directorate involve demonstrating the technical and engineering feasibility of lasers and imaging systems.
The Advanced Weapons and Survivability Directorate develops high-energy plasma and microwave technologies, electromagnetic pulse hardening, space systems survivability, and advanced techniques and computer simulations for weapon effects.
Phillips Laboratory also supports the Airborne Laser in developing an aircraft-based technology that will be able to acquire, track, and kill theater ballistic missiles during their boost phase.
Established in December 1990, the Laboratory replaced the Air Force Space Technology Center, which consisted of a headquarters at Kirtland and three laboratories: the Weapons Laboratory, also at Kirtland; the Geophysics Laboratory at Hanscom; and the Astronautics Laboratory at Edwards.
The Laboratory is named after General Samuel C. Phillips, a leader in space technology research and development. He retired in September 1975 and died in January 1990. During his military career, he was commander of both the Space and Missile Systems Organization in Los Angeles and Air Force Systems Command at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. In the late 1960's he directed NASA's Apollo Program. Air Force Systems Command and Air Force Logistics Command merged into the Air Force Materiel Command in July 1992.
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Phillips Laboratory Computational Services Division
Last modified 18 Mar 1997
