AURORA FLIGHT SCIENCES CORPORATION

MANASSAS, VA · Aerospace · Acquired by The Boeing Company (2017)

Safety verification software for autonomous flight systems using metric temporal logic and optimization algorithms to certify in-flight algorithms without exhaustive testing

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Updated Oct 23, 2026 · aurora.aero

Sector: Aerospace
Headquarters: MANASSAS, VA
Latest Form D: $6.8M, Oct 2013
Total capital: $842M

Federal grants: $3.1M; 12 awards · 2014–2016; Rank in peer group#45 of 55
Private capital raised: $6.8M; 1 Form D · last Oct 2013; 157 months since last filing
Federal contracts: $832M; 185 awards · NASA, Defense, Interior; Rank in Aerospace#6 of 1335
Granted patents: None on recordNo USPTO grants. Applications publish after 18 months.

Capital timeline

Latest events

Feb 2025Federal contractDefense · Development And Testing Of Physics-based Low-order Active Flow Control Models For Early Conceptual Design (afcm)$519K
Sep 2024Federal contractNASA · R&d Contract To Create Scenarios That Provide Context For Developing And Assessing The Impact Of Aviation Technologies. Develop The Models For The Design And Optimization Of Truly Integrated Vehicles & Applying Those Models To Vehicle Trade Studies.$3.4M
Jul 2024Federal contractDefense · Tps Preview Exercise Flight Hrs$85K
Jun 2024Federal contractDefense · Networked Collaborative Autonomous (nca) Weapon Reachability For Weapon Target Assignment (wta) (reach)$993K
Mar 2024Federal contractDefense · Tps Preview Exercise Flt Hrs$142K
Nov 2023Federal contractDefense · Speed And Runway Independent Technologies (sprint) Program.$33.3M
Oct 2023Federal contractDefense · Autonomy/ AI Specific Modeling And Simulation Environment (asme) For Swarms And Counter-swarms$2.9M
Oct 2013Private capital raisedForm D · SEC · 1st filing$6.8M

Show 188 earlier federal awards

Apr 2023Federal contractDefense · Innovative Technologies To Enable Complexity, Unpredictability, And Mass To Overwhelm Adversaries$92K
Feb 2023Federal contractDefense · Base Period (linc Program)$6.2M
Jan 2023Federal contractDefense · The Liberty Lifter Program Will Design, Build, And Flight Test An Affordable, Innovative, And Disruptive Seaplane.$48.2M
Dec 2022Federal contractDefense · Control Of Revolutionary Aircraft With Novel Effectors (crane)program Phase 2 And 3.$94.4M
Sep 2021Federal contractDefense · Swarm Vs Swarm Battlespace Awareness$541K
Mar 2021Federal contractDefense · White Papers$295K
Sep 2020Federal contractDefense · Evaluate, Validate And Demonstrate Weight Reduction And Life Extension Benefits Of Reinforcing Composite Airframe Structures With Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube (vacnt) By Following A Building Block Approach Of Fabricating And Testing Of Coupon,$448K
Jun 2020Federal contractDefense · Control Of Revolutionary Aircraft With Novel Effectors (crane) Program Phase 0 And 1. Design, Build, And Test Of An X-plane That Incorporates Active Flow Control (afc) As The Primary Design Consideration.$23.8M
Sep 2019Federal contractDefense · Payload And Conops Study (1.0)$329K
Mar 2019Federal contractDefense · Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Platform Sharing (lcaaps)$1.2M
Sep 2018Federal contractDefense · Nexgen UAS$1.5M
Sep 2018Federal contractTransportation · Development Of In-cab Passive Monitoring To Detect And Signal Engineer Fatigue.$101K
Jun 2018Federal contractDefense · Asaptr Wing Structure Design&manufacturing (wisdm)$1.9M
Apr 2018Federal contractTransportation · Igf::ot::igf External Perception For Locomotives - Look Ahead Down The Track And Require That The Train Crew Confirm The System's Visual Observations$436K
Oct 2017Federal contractDefense · Acat III Big Safari$114M
Oct 2017Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf Analysis Of The Single-aisle Turboelectric Aircraft With Aft Boundary Layer Propulsion (starc-abl) Advanced Concept The Intent Of This Study Is To Perform An Independent Analysis Of The Starc-abl Concept, An Advanced Low-wing Turboelectric Commercial Transport. The Starc-abl Concept Was Initially Described In AIAA-2016-1027, And Further Research Has Identified Similar System Level Trends With Minor Modifications To The Previously Published Design, Such As A Mach 0.785 Cruise Speed.$733K
Sep 2017Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igfx-plane Risk Reduction Support$2.6M
Sep 2017Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igfx-plane Risk Reduction Support$5M
Aug 2017Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igfjsc Engineering Seeks To Determine The Feasibility Of Utilizing The Universal Battery Charger (ubc) On The Iss As A Back-up Charging Capability For A New Eva Battery, Referred To As The Lithium Ion Pistol Grip Tool (lpgt) Battery. To Realize This Objective, A New Custom Ubc Adapter Is Required, To Interface The Ubc To The Lpgt Battery. This New Adapter Will Be Largely Based On Existing Designs (already Qualified For Use On Iss), To Minimize Non-recurring Engineering As Well As Safety$46K
Aug 2017Federal contractDefense · Igf::ot::igf Low Cost Aircraft Design And Integration$200K
Aug 2017Federal contractCommerce · Igf::ot::igf Survey Flights To Provide Gravity Data And The Purchase Of A Refurbished Micro-g Lacoste Turnkey Airborne Gravimetry System 7 (TAGS7).$691K
Dec 2016Federal grantDefense · Phase II · RApid Verification and Validation Techniques (RAVVT)$250K
Sep 2016Federal contractDefense · Igf::ot::igf This Contract Is For Darpa Baa Effort, "6U Cubesat With Deformable Mirror Demonstration Payload Compatible With Alasa Launch."$1.9M
Sep 2016Federal contractCommerce · Igf::ot::igf Survey Flights To Provide Gravity Data. Flights Will Be In The Southeastern Or Southcentral United States For 25 Days Starting March 25, 2017.$296K
Sep 2016Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf Assist NASA In Defining The Technical Approach, Schedule, And Cost For Proceeding With Potential X-plane Procurement(s) That Support Accomplishment Of Nasa's Goals And Objectives For The Ultra Efficient Subsonic Transport Thrust.$2.9M
Jul 2016Federal grantDefense · Phase I · Aerial Aquatic Ordnance Removal Vehicle (AEQUOR-V)$80K
Jul 2016Federal contractDefense · Dfe Prototype Igf::ot::igf$798K
Jun 2016Federal grantNASA · Phase I · Tool for Collaborative Autonomy$125K
Jun 2016Federal grantNASA · Phase I · Spacecraft Swarm Coordination and Planning Tool$125K
Apr 2016Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf A Major Market For Vertical Lift Aircraft Is In Urban Operations, Primarily For Police And Electronic News Gathering (typically A Bell 206 Or A Eurocopter AS350). Manned Systems Are More Costly To Operate And Have A Much Larger Operational Footprint Than Their Unmanned Counterparts. But The Unmanned Multirotor Does Not Have The Range And Endurance To Compete With The Manned Systems. Aurora Flight Sciences Believes That The Passive Miller Cycle (pmc) Series Hybrid System Is A Viable$750K
Mar 2016Federal contractDefense · Igf::ot::igf Vertical Takeoff And Landing (vtol) X-plane Program Phases 2 And 3$86.8M
Jan 2016Federal contractDefense · Igf::ot::igf Misssion Award Autonomy (maab) Due To System Limitations The Soliciation Number Had To Be Inputted A Certain Way. The Actual Soliciation Number For This Item Is DARPA-BAA-15-27$250K
Dec 2015Federal contractDefense · Igf::ot::igf Low Cost Attritable Aircract Development$499K
Oct 2015Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf SBIR III Small Business Innovation Research Phase III Halo Instrument Intergration Feaibility Study Perform A Payload Integration Study To Host The Halo Instrument On Both The Centaur Optionally Piloted Aircraft, And The Orion Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). The Government Will Provide The Halo Payload Specifications Including Size, Weight, And Power Requirements. The Government Is Interested In Determining Both The Technical Feasibility And Cost Of Integration And Operations Of Th$10K
Oct 2015Federal contractNASA · Igf::ct::igf Develop The D8 Aircraft Design To The Point That, Combined With Other Planned Technology, Maturation, Government And Industry Can Make An Informed Decision Regarding The Viability Of The Configuration As A Commercial Product That Meets Armd N+3 Performance Targets; And Complete Initial Design Of A Half-scale D-8 Demonstrator Aircraft That Can Be Used To Flight Verify The Integrated D8 Vehicle Technologies. This Is A Request For Quote (rfq) For Other Than A Commercial Item Or Service$6.8M
Sep 2015Federal contractDefense · Research And Development, SBIR Phase I Topic N152-084, Igf::ot::igf$150K
Aug 2015Federal grantDefense · Phase I · Highly-Integrated Structures for an Air-launched Sensor Platform$150K
Aug 2015Federal grantDefense · Phase I · High efficiency ground station antenna for multi-band telemetry applications$150K
Aug 2015Federal contractDefense · Igf::ot::igf SBIR Phase II, Topic: AF141-214$1.4M
Jul 2015Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf After Successfully Demonstrating The Basic Functionality Of A Damage-detecting, Self-healing 'smart' Material System In Phase I, Aurora And Umass Lowell Aim To Advance The Material Technology To A Trl 5 In Phase II. The Team Will Use Their 'smart' Material System To Design And Manufacture Various Scaled-up Core-stiffened Composite Specimens In Application-appropriate Geometries, And Subsequently Test The Specimens In A Simulated Operational Environment That Includes Hypervelocity Im$750K
Jul 2015Federal contractDefense · Igf::ot::igf Precision Enhancement Of Airdrop Releases Through Learning (pearl)$150K
Jun 2015Federal grantNASA · Phase I · In-situ Sensing for Multi-Functional Structures$125K
Jun 2015Federal grantNASA · Phase I · Vertical Lift by Series Hybrid Power$125K
Jun 2015Federal grantNASA · Phase I · Benefit Analysis of Hybrid CNT/CFRP Composites in Future Aircraft Structures$125K
Jun 2015Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf Blended Wing Body (bwb) Aircraft Provide An Aerodynamically Superior Solution Over Traditional Tube-and-wing Designs For A Number Of Mission Profiles. These Platforms Provide An All-lifting Surface With A Reduced Wetted Area, Which Lead To Significant Aerodynamic Improvements Over Their Conventional Counterparts. However, Due To Their Lack Of A Conventional Tail Surface With Which To Trim In Pitch During Low-speed Operations, These Aircraft Suffer From A Number Of Stability Issues. $125K
Mar 2015Federal grantDefense · Phase I · Tool for RObust Planning under uncERtainty (TROoPER)$150K
Mar 2015Federal contractDefense · Igf::ot::igf Darpa SBIR Phase I Action Entitled, "tool For Robust Planning Under Uncertainty (trooper)." Pac Rat RA-D069-15. Pan Rtw 1Q-15.$100K
Dec 2014Federal contractDefense · Igf::ot::igf Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation System (alias)$21.4M
Dec 2014Federal grantDefense · Phase II · High-Efficiency Propulsion for EMATT Sprint Speed Capability$1.5M
Nov 2014Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf Nra(nasa Research Announcement)- Passive Aeroelastic Tailoring For Next-generation High Aspect Ratio Wings - The Contractor Shall Develop Advanced Aeroelastic Tailoring Techniques Which Yield Beneficial Aeroelastic Performance Without Introducing A Weight Penalty Compared To Traditional Designs For Transport Aircraft Wings.$3.5M
Oct 2014Federal grantDefense · Phase I · Real-Time Safety-Assured Autonomous Aircraft$150K
Sep 2014Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf Aurora Proposes To Transition Umd Methods For Insect-inspired, Lightweight Vision- And Optical Sensor-based Navigation Methods For A Combined Air-ground System That Leverages The Unique Capabilities Of Airborne Systems To Achieve A Progressively Refined Map Of The Exploration Region Which Can Be Accessed By Agents Within The Autonomous Team For Localization, And By Scientists And Other Ground Observers. Research During The Phase I Developed Requirements, Performed Analyses And Basic$750K
Sep 2014Federal contractCommerce · Igf::ot::igf "other Functions" - This Award Is For The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II For FY2013'S Program Announcement For The Technology Parternships Office Under The Office Of Atmospheric Research In Silver Spring, Md This Award Is For Proposal 13-2-040 A Project Titled "surveying Earth's Gravity With Unmanned Aerial Vehicles."$400K
Jun 2014Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf New Measurement Technologies Are Required To Support Science Campaigns To Better Quantify Rapid Changes In The Earth Atmosphere System. A Key Factor In This Heightened Focus On Risk And Uncertainty Is The Growing Recognition That The Climate Is Changing Far More Rapidly Than Was Thought Just Five Years Ago. Aurora Flight Sciences And Harvard University Propose To Miniaturize The Harvard Integrated Cavity Output Spectroscopy (icos) Instrument For Use In The Unique Reel-down Payload P$125K
Jun 2014Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf New Measurement Technologies Are Required To Support Science Campaigns To Better Quantify Rapid Loss Of Permanent Floating Ice Volume In The Arctic Ocean, Accelerating Loss Of The Greenland Glacial System, Recurring Drought Conditions In The U. S. Continental Interior, And Increasing Frequency And Intensity Of Severe Storms In Both Coastal Zones And In The Nation's Central Corridor. While Balloon Measurements Offer Persistence And Relative Low Cost When Compared To Aircraft Systems,$125K
Jun 2014Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf Aurora Flight Sciences And Partner, Draper Laboratory, Propose To Develop An On-orbit Immuno-based Label-free Suspension Cell Culture Analysis Tool, Scan Tool, Which Utilizes Antibody-antigen Surface Binding As Its Core Sensor Technology. Our Proposed Scan Tool Is Designed To Provide An On-orbit Analysis Of Suspension Samples To Support Studies Of Bone And Muscle Loss, Multi-generational Species Studies And Cell And Plant Tissue Per NASA SBIR Topic Description H.10.02. The Scan Too$125K
Jun 2014Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf During Phase I, Aurora Flight Sciences And The University Of Massachusetts Lowell Propose To Demonstrate The Feasibility Of Enhancing A Commercially Available Out-of-autoclave (ooa) Carbon Prepreg Material System (e.g. IM7/5320) Via Embedded Structural Health Monitoring (shm) And Selfhealing Capabilities, Which Can Be Manufactured By An Automated Fiber Placement (afp) Machine. This Proposed "smart" Material Will Ultimately Enable The Cost-effective Manufacture Of Large, Lightweight $125K
Jun 2014Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf Traditional Hydraulic Actuation And Control Surface Layout Both Limit Span Wise Control Of Lift Distribution, And Require Large Volume Within Wing Cross-section, Ultimately Reducing Efficiency. Mounting And Support Structures For Traditional Actuators, Also Necessitate Drag-inducing Protrusions In Otherwise Ideally Smooth Airfoils. Consequently, Hydraulic Systems Are Heavy And Energy Intensive As Compared To Electromechanical Counterparts. Coupling Distributed Emas With Novel Contro$125K
Jun 2014Federal contractDefense · Igf::ot::igf SBIR Phase I Topic: F141-214$150K
May 2014Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf Aurora Flight Sciences And The Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (mit) Propose To Develop A Stand-alone 6-DOF Load Sensing System That Collects Biomechanical Force And Moment Data While Integrated With The Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ared) On The International Space Station By Adapting And Enhancing Previously Field-tested Systems. Our Edls-iss System Includes A Separate Base Unit Tethered To Two Low-profile Sensors, Which Can Be Non-invasively Mounted On The Surface Of $750K
May 2014Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf As Part Of The Faa's Plans For Modernization Of The Air Traffic Control (atc) System, Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ads-b) Will Be The Basis Of The Future Surveillance System In The US, Supplemented By The Current RADAR System. With Significantly More Frequent Updates And Higher Data Quality Than RADAR, Ads-b Provides Unprecedented Access To General Aviation Operational Data. Given This Unique Opportunity, Aurora Proposes To Conduct An In-depth Analysis Of The Potent$125K
May 2014Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf$191K
Jan 2014Federal contractDefense · Igf::ot::igf Aurora Flight Sciences SBIR I$150K
Dec 2013Federal contractDefense · Vertical Take Off And Landing Experimental Plane (vtol X-plane) Phase 1$16.7M
Nov 2013Federal contractDefense · Igf::ot::igf "osd STTR Phase I Novel Sacrificial Fibers For Microvascular Composites With Embedded Thermal Mgt Devices$150K
Sep 2013Federal contractDefense · A New Contract Award For The Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node (tern) Effort, Phase I.$8.2M
Aug 2013Federal contractCommerce · Igf::ot::igf "other Functions" - This Award Is For The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I For FY2013'S Announcement For The Office Of Atmospheric Research In Silver Spring, Md. This Award Is For Proposal 13-1-040 A Project Titled "surveying Earth's Gravity With Unmanned Aerial Vehicles." Phase I Is Due To Be Completed Six Months After Award.$95K
Aug 2013Federal contractDefense · STTR Phase I$80K
Jun 2013Federal contractDefense · Status Report$150K
Jun 2013Federal contractDefense · Igf::ot::igf Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (mems)setae For Bio-inspired Wind And Lift Sensing$1.0M
Jun 2013Federal contractDefense · Fixed Wing Air Vehicle Reference Design$2.2M
May 2013Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf To Advance The Effectiveness Of Exercise Activities Performed To Counteract Bone And Muscle Deterioration Under Microgravity Conditions, Aurora Flight Sciences And The Massachusetts Institute Of Technology Propose To Develop A Self-contained, Enhanced Dynamic Load Sensor That Can Be Integrated Into The Existing Exercise Equipment Onboard The International Space Station. These Sensors Will Allow The Collection Of Crewmember Biomechanical While They Are Exercising On-orbit. These Data$125K
May 2013Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf The Availability Of An Air Vehicle To Perform Missions Or Generate Sorties Is Negatively Impacted By Time Spent On The Ground Due To Scheduled Servicing And Maintenance. Condition Based Maintenance (cbm) Helps Maximize The Availability Of Air Assets By Servicing The Air Vehicle Based On Actual Condition As Opposed To A Fixed Number Of Operating Hours. Prognostics And Health Management (phm) Enables Improved Cbm On Air Vehicles By Comparing In-situ Sensor Data To Prognostic Models O$125K
May 2013Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf Aurora Proposes To Develop A Vision-based Subsystem For Incorporation Onto Mars Vehicles In The Air (vtol) And On The Ground. Noamad Will Be An Embedded Hardware Device With Associated Firmware For Payloadlimited Uavs, Performing Autonomous Navigation, Obstacle Avoidance, Guidance Using Bioinspired Methods, And Communication Of Information Between Agents Within The Autonomous Team. Noamad Will Transition University Of Maryland Methods For Insect-inspired, Lightweight, Vision- And O$125K
May 2013Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf Aurora Will Develop A Novel Composite Sandwich Structure That Is Capable Of Providing A Coupled Bending-torsional Stiffness With Nonlinear Elastic Effects, Capable Of Achieving A Tailored Aeroelastic Response Over A Wide Range Of Flight Conditions. Such A Structure Will Make Use Of An Additive Manufactured Core With Highly Tailored And Optimized Cellular Substructure. The Cellular Structure Will Be Functionally Graded In The Spanwise And Chordwise Directions To Provide A Coupled Ben$125K
May 2013Federal contractDefense · SBIR Phase I Topic N131-004$80K
Apr 2013Federal contractDefense · Igf::cl::igf, DOD 2013.1 SBIR Solicitation$80K
Jan 2013Federal contractDefense · Aurora Flight Sciences - SBIR Phase I$100K
Jan 2013Federal contractDefense · R&d Contract For "additive Manufactured Polymer Heat Exchanger."$350K
Dec 2012Federal contractDefense · SBIR II- Attitude Control Wing Fold$1M
Oct 2012Federal contractDefense · Team Performance Metrics For Command And Control Of Unmanned Systems$80K
Sep 2012Federal contractDefense · Pr 68-1100-12 R&d Of An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Configuration That Maximizes The Surface Area For Solar Panels.$80K
Sep 2012Federal contractDefense · Research And Development In The Physical, Engineering, And Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)$93.6M
Sep 2012Federal contractDefense · SBIR II: Small UAV Hybrid Propulsion System$750K
Jul 2012Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf Other Functions - Two Spheres Satellites With Expansion Ports And Accessories.$640K
Jul 2012Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf The Phoenix Program Seeks To Develop And Demonstrate Technologies To Cooperatively Harvest And Re-use Valuable Components From Retired, Nonworking Satellites In Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (geo) And Demonstrate The Ability To Create New Space Systems At Greatly Reduced Cost. The Primary Goal Of The Aurora Sow Is To Develop Cellularized Satellites (satlets) In Support Of The Phoenix Program. These Satlets Will Be Responsible For Various Subsystems Needed For The Major Functional Requi$1.6M
Jun 2012Federal contractDefense · SBIR I: Persistent Engine Condition Estimation System (pecoes)$150K
May 2012Federal contractDefense · Acat III, Big Safari, Orion$95.5M
Apr 2012Federal contractNASA · Igf::ot::igf Other Function - With The Retiring Of The Shuttle Fleet, Up-mass And Down-mass To Iss Are At A Premium. The Space Station Itself Has A Limited Lifecycle As Well, Thus Long-term And/or High-risk Development Programs Pose Issues For Science 'return On Investment', If The Technology Cannot Be Adequately Matured Before The Station Is Decommissioned. Thus Innovative Systems And Technologies That Minimize Impact On Limiting Resources Such As Up-mass, Down-mass And Crew Time, And Can Do So$834K
Mar 2012Federal contractDefense · Igf::ot::igf Ph I Research&development$100K
Feb 2012Federal contractDefense · Carbon Nanotube (cnt) Enhanced Composite Structures$750K
Feb 2012Federal contractNASA · Aurora Flight Sciences, With Agent Oriented Software, Proposes To Develop A Contingency Management System That Dynamically Performs Decision-making Based On Both Sensed And Predictive Information To Carry Out Adaptive Missions And Maintenance. This System Will Mirror The Human Nervous System, Having Sensing Capabilities Distributed Throughout Systems And Subsystems Measuring Characteristics That Predict The Conditional Response Of The Aerospace Vehicle. The Vehicle 'nervous System' Of Embedded D$125K
Dec 2011Federal contractInterior · Aurora Flight Sciences Corp. STTR 9.B Phase II$1.5M
Dec 2011Federal contractDefense · Urban Beat Cop$2.7M
Dec 2011Federal contractDefense · SBIR I- Attitude Control Enhancement Using Wing Load Sensing$150K
Oct 2011Federal contractDefense · Research And Development SBIR Phase I Topic N112-127$80K
Oct 2011Federal contractDefense · Aurora; SBIR I Conformal Antennas For UAS$100K
Sep 2011Federal contractDefense · Research And Development In The Physical, Engineering, And Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)$739K
Sep 2011Federal contractDefense · SBIR Phase III "bio-inspired Sensing And Hierarchial Gn&c For Traversing Urban Clutter"$1.6M
Aug 2011Federal contractDefense · Acat 3, Big Safari, Orion$14.9M
Jul 2011Federal contractDefense · Mater-advanced Disposable Airframe Production Technologies$1.4M
Jul 2011Federal contractDefense · Mater-mfg Technology For Rpv Propulsion Systems Sustainment$1.0M
Jul 2011Federal contractDefense · Pr 82-3025-11 Spheres Satellite And Supporting Hardware$203K
Jun 2011Federal contractDefense · Optimized Silent Suas Propeller Design$960K
Jun 2011Federal contractNASA · Pressurized Space Suits Impose High Joint Torques On The Wearer, Reducing Mobility For Upper And Lower Body Motions. Using Actual Space Suits In Training Or Experimentation Is Problematic Due To The Expense, Bulk, Weight, And Difficulty In Donning/doffing. The Goal Of This Project Was To Demonstrate A Novel Method For Simulating Space Suit Joint Torques, Which Are Non-linear And Vary With Angular Position. We Designed A Knee Joint Simulator Using Mckibben Actuators With Active Control (also Know$600K
Jun 2011Federal contractNASA · In Order To Support The Tools Needed To Develop The Mars Sample Return (msr) Rendezvous And Capture Of The Orbiting Sample (os), We Proposed The Development Of The Mars Orbiting Sample Return (mosr) Rendezvous&docking With The Os (rdos) System. This System Supports Development Of Gn&c Algorithms To Address The "last Few Meters" Operation Between The Chaser Spacecraft And Os And Extends The Capabilities Of The Current Spheres Mosr Test Bed. During Phase 1, The Team Demonstrated The Feasibility Of$600K
May 2011Federal contractDefense · SBIR Phase 1 Topic # A11-015$100K
May 2011Federal contractDefense · Technical Data - Develop And Demonstrate A Novel Power System That Will Be Utilized In An Air Launched Small Unmanned Aerial System (suas). The End Solution Should Not Only Extend The Duration Of The Suas, But Also Address The Growing Need For More Power By The Payload.$100K
May 2011Federal contractNASA · Aurora Flight Sciences (afs) And Its Partners Propose To Develop A Scalable, Comprehensive Set Of Algorithms, Software, Protocols, And Interfaces, Implementable On A Wide Range Of Spacecraft Of Varying Sizes And Capabilities, Thereby Reducing The Barrier To Entry For Participation In Commercial And National Security Space Programs.$871K
Apr 2011Federal contractDefense · Darpa Phase II, Topic SB092-016, Aurora$1.5M
Feb 2011Federal contractDefense · Small UAV Hybrid Propulsion System$100K
Feb 2011Federal contractNASA · Nasa's Mars Sample Return (msr) Mission Scenario Utilizes A Small Orbiting Sample (os) Satellite, Launched From The Surface Of Mars, Which Will Rendezvous With An Orbiter/earth Return Vehicle (erv). When The Radio Beacon-equipped Os Is Within Range Of The Erv's Optical Sensors, The Erv Will Optically Track And Approach The Os, Maneuvering Itself To Place The Os Within Its Capture Device. One Of The Key Technologies Required To Accomplish This Mission Involves A Low-mass, Highly Reliable Mechani$100K
Feb 2011Federal contractNASA · With The Retiring Of The Shuttle Fleet, Up-mass And Down-mass To Iss Are At A Premium. The Space Station Itself Has A Limited Lifecycle As Well, Thus Long-term And/or High-risk Development Programs Pose Issues For Science 'return On Investment', If The Technology Cannot Be Adequately Matured Before The Station Is Decommissioned. Thus Innovative Systems And Technologies That Minimize Impact On Limiting Resources Such As Up-mass And Down-mass, And Can Do So In The Near- To Mid-term, Are Highly Des$100K
Feb 2011Federal contractNASA · Aerospace Vehicles Operating At High Altitudes Have The Potential To Be Less Expensive And More Versatile Alternatives To Space Based Systems For Earth/space Science, Communications, And Surveillance. However, The Operational Flexibility Of These Vehicles Is Limited By The Performance Of The Propulsion System. In Gas Turbine Systems Low Temperatures And Pressures At The Combustor Inlet Are Of Concern For Combustion Stability And Efficiency At High Altitudes. The Overall Objective Of The Proposed$100K
Feb 2011Federal contractNASA · Analogous To The Cubesat Standardization Of Micro-satellites, The Spore Flight System Architecture Will Utilize A Modular Design Approach To Provide Low-cost On-orbit Operation And Recovery Of Small Payloads. The Phase 1 Investigation Will Evaluate A Scalable Flight System Architecture Consisting Of A Service Module For On-orbit Operations And Deorbit Maneuvering, And An Entry Vehicle To Perform Entry, Descent And Landing (edl). The Design Space For The Spore System Architecture Is Shown In Figu$100K
Feb 2011Federal contractNASA · Aurora Flight Sciences Proposes To Develop A System For Robust Engine Control Based On Incremental Sampling, Specifically Rapidly-expanding Random Tree (rrt) Algorithms. In This Concept, The Task Of Accelerating Or Decelerating The Engine Is Treated As A Path Planning Exercise. The Control System Actively Searches For Actuator Inputs That Allow The Engine To Traverse Power Settings Without Entering Undesired Regions Of Operation. The Search Is Based On The Sequential Construction Of Control Acti$100K
Jan 2011Federal contractNASA · Spheres Ground System Hardware&spheres Flight System Hardware$77K
Jan 2011Federal contractDefense · Carbon Nanotube (cnt) Enhanced Composite Structures$100K
Jan 2011Federal contractDefense · R&d Under SBIR Topic N103-208$80K
Jan 2011Federal contractInterior · UAS Data Management Apps (ud Mapps) In Support Of Transformative Apps Program For DARPA/I2O$201K
Dec 2010Federal contractDefense · SBIR Phase II$750K
Dec 2010Federal contractDefense · (STTR Ph II) Advanced Transport Damage Tolerant Glare Hybrid Bonded Wing Structure$750K
Oct 2010Federal contractDefense · (STTR Phase II) Physics-based Control Technology For Augmentor Screech Suppression$750K
Sep 2010Federal contractDefense · Research And Development In The Physical, Engineering, And Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)$70K
Sep 2010Federal contractDefense · (STTR Phase II) Development Of Multidisciplinary, Multi-fidelity Analysis And Integration Of Aerospace Vehicles$750K
Aug 2010Federal contractDefense · Electric Lift Fan For Vtol Air Vehicles - Tas 57 3600$1.7M
Aug 2010Federal contractNASA · Multi-robot Planetary Exploration Architectures Space Policy Direction Is Shifting, Particularly With Respect To Human Goals. Given The Uncertainty Of Future Missions To The Moon, Mars, And Other Bodies, A Tool That Allows For Informed Analysis Of The Option Space Is Particularly Relevant. Aurora Flight Sciences And Mit Propose To Further Develop The Multi-robot Planetary Exploration Architecture (mrpea) Methodology, A Suite Of Software Tools And Analysis Algorithms Developed To Provide Decision$600K
Jul 2010Federal contractDefense · R&d STTR Topic N10A-T008$70K
Jul 2010Federal contractInterior · Micro-sized Microwave Atmospheric Satellite Cluster(micromas)$99K
Jul 2010Federal contractDefense · Low Cost Orbital Debris Removal System$70K
Jun 2010Federal contractNASA · Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation And Partner, Draper Laboratory, Propose To Develop An On-orbit Immuno-based Label-free White Blood Cell Counting System Using Mems Technology (oilwbcs-mems) For Human Spaceflight Experimental And Medical Monitoring Practices. Our Proposed System Is Designed To Meet Nasa's Requirements For A Microgravity Compatible, Miniaturized, Light Weight Peripheral Blood Cell Counting Instrument Capable Of On-orbit Cell Counting, Without High Energy Lasers, Requiring Minima$600K
Jun 2010Federal contractDefense · Research And Development In The Physical, Engineering, And Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)$100K
May 2010Federal contractDefense · R&d SBIR Topic N101-006$80K
Apr 2010Federal contractDefense · Collaborative Sensor Fusion And Management For Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (uavs)$750K
Apr 2010Federal contractDefense · SBIR I$100K
Mar 2010Federal contractDefense · Phase II R&d SBIR Topic N08-016$600K
Mar 2010Federal contractDefense · Research And Development In The Physical, Engineering, And Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)$100K
Feb 2010Federal contractDefense · Darpa SBIR Phase I$99K
Feb 2010Federal contractDefense · R&d SBIR Phase II Topic N08-030$750K
Jan 2010Federal contractNASA · Nasa's Mars Sample Return (msr) Mission Involves Many Challenging Operations. One Of The Highest-risk Operations Is The Guidance Of The Orbiting Sample (os) Into The Capture Mechanism On The Msr Orbiter/earth Return Vehicle (erv). Aurora Flight Sciences, And Its Research Partner The Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (mit) Space Systems Laboratory (ssl), Propose To Adapt And Augment The Synchronized Position Hold Engage Reorient Experimental Satellites (spheres) Mars Orbiting Sample Retrieval$100K
Jan 2010Federal contractNASA · Titan Is Ideally Suited For Balloon Exploration Due To Its Low Gravity And Dense Atmosphere. Current NASA Mission Architectures Baseline Montgolfiere Balloon Systems, Which Use Waste Heat From A Radioisotope Power System To Heat Balloon Interior Gases To Provide Buoyancy. A Disadvantage Of This Approach Is That The Balloon Is Unable To Make Rapid Changes In Altitude Which Limits System Utility. The Feasibility Of Adding A Rapid Buoyancy Modulation Subsystem Which Uses Chemical Reactions To Provi$100K
Jan 2010Federal contractNASA · The Process Of Aircraft Design Requires The Integration Of Data From Individual Analysis Of Aerodynamic, Structural, Thermal, And Behavioral Properties Of A Flight Vehicle. At Present, There Is No Simple Way To Integrate The Results Of The Analyses Early In The Design Process. Aurora Flight Sciences And The Massachusetts Institute Of Technology Aerospace Computational Design Laboratory Propose To Create A System Level Analysis Framework Called The Extensible Data Set Architecture To Facilitate T$100K
Jan 2010Federal contractDefense · Darpa SBIR Phase I$99K
Jan 2010Federal contractNASA · Aurora Flight Sciences Proposes To Incorporate Aspirated Compressor Technology Into A High Altitude, Long Endurance (hale) Concept Engine. Aspiration Has Been Proven To Increase The Stage Loading Of Gas Turbine Compressors And Fans, Potentially Allowing Weight Reduction Through The Reduction Of Compression Stages Or Through The Reduction Of Stresses Through Decreased Spool Speeds. Additionally, Aspiration Has The Potential To Increase The Low Reynolds Number Capability Of An Engine Through Impro$100K
Jan 2010Federal contractNASA · Aurora Flight Sciences, Along With Mit Consultants Professor Dava Newman And Professor Jeffrey Hoffman, Propose To Develop An Eva Space Suit Simulator For Use In Partial Gravity Training And Experimentation. Our Space Suit Simulator Will Provide A Lightweight, Low Form-factor Solution To Microgravity And Partial Gravity Eva Experimentation And Training. We Will Utilize Magnetorheological (mr) Fluids As Our Damping Device In Order To Minimize Weight And Space, And Will Careful Select Supplementar$100K
Jan 2010Federal contractDefense · R&d SBIR Topic N093-169$80K
Jan 2010Federal contractDefense · (STTR Phase II) Distributed Adaptive Control Of Engine Systems$750K
Jan 2010Federal contractNASA · Aurora Flight Sciences Proposes To Develop A Flare Planning Methodology That Would Provide Aircraft Guidance During This Critical Phase Of Flight. The Algorithms That Aurora Seeks To Leverage The Reachability Problem In The Fields Of Optimal Control And Hybrid Systems, Using Rapidly-exploring Random Trees (rrts) And Falsification Theory. To This End, Aurora Proposes The Innovation Of Applying A Suitable Version Of These Algorithms To The Design Of A Flare Maneuver Guidance And Planning Logic. Th$600K
Dec 2009Federal contractDefense · Structurally Embedded Power And Signal Cabling For Air Vehicles$100K
Sep 2009Federal contractDefense · Atomic Clock$440K
Aug 2009Federal contractDefense · Darpa SBIR Phase I Award.$99K
Jul 2009Federal contractDefense · STTR (phase 1) - Physics-based Control Technology For Augmentor Screech Suppression$100K
May 2009Federal contractDefense · Research And Development In The Physical, Engineering, And Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)$70K
May 2009Federal contractDefense · STTR (PHASE1) - Advanced Transport Damage Tolerant Glare Hybrid Bonded Wing Structure$100K
May 2009Federal contractDefense · (STTR Phase I) Development Of Multidisciplinary, Multi-fidelity Analysis And Integration Of Aerospace Vehicles$100K
Mar 2009Federal contractDefense · Biological Solutions$70K
Mar 2009Federal contractNASA · Synthetic Imaging Maneuver Optimization (simo) Aurora Flight Sciences (afs), In Collaboration With The Mit Space Systems Laboratory (mit-ssl), Proposed The Synthetic Imaging Maneuver Optimization (simo) Program To Develop A Methodology, Calibrated Through Hardware-in-the-loop Testing, To Optimize S/c Maneuvers To More Efficiently Synthesize Images For Missions Such As Stellar Imager (si). Time And Fuel-optimal Maneuvers Are Only A Part Of The Optimization Problem. Selecting The Maneuver Waypoin$600K
Feb 2009Federal contractNASA · Nuclear Reactors To Support Future Robotic And Manned Missions Impose New And Innovative Technological Requirements For Their Control And Protection Instrumentation. Long Duration Surface Missions Necessitate Reliable Autonomous Operation, And Manned Missions Impose Added Requirements For Fail-safe Reactor Protection. There Is A Need For An Advanced Instrumentation And Control System For Space-nuclear Reactors That Addresses Both Aspects Of Autonomous Operation And Safety. Highly Reliable, Earth$600K
Feb 2009Federal contractDefense · Coordinated Sensor Fusion & Management For Multiple Uav's$100K
Jan 2009Federal contractNASA · Multi-robot Planetary Exploration Command And Control Aurora Flight Sciences, The Mit Manned Vehicle Laboratory (mvl), And The Mit Humans And Automation Laboratory (hal) Together Propose To Adapt Existing Software, Algorithms, And Human Interfaces Into A Software System That Performs Command And Control Of A Heterogeneous Team Of Mobile Robots, Operating In A Variety Of Modalities, To Perform Multi-agent Planetary Exploration. The System Will Provide Ground Control User Interfaces And Data Ma$100K
Jan 2009Federal contractNASA · On Orbit Immuno-based, Label-free, White Blood Cell Counting System With Microelectromechanical Sensor (mems) Technology (oilwbcs-mems) Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation And Our Partner, Draper Laboratory, Propose To Develop An On Orbit Immuno-based, Label-free, White Blood Cell Counting System For Simultaneous Counting Of Peripheral Blood Cell Subpopulations, Including Total White Blood Cells, The Five White Blood Cell Differential Subgroups, And Various Lymphocyte Subtypes, Such As CD4 And C$100K
Jan 2009Federal contractNASA · Aurora Flight Sciences, Along With Its Partner Vertigo Industries, Proposes A Novel Approach To Deployment Of Balloon-based Payloads Into The Martian Atmosphere. Balloon-based Mars Exploration Has The Capability To Cover A Larger Portion Of The Martian Surface Than Is Accessible Via A Rover And To Provide Better Resolution Than Is Available From Satellites. Due To The Low Density Of The Martian Atmosphere, The Balloon Envelope For Even A Small Payload Is Quite Large (tens Of Meters In Diameter);$100K
Jan 2009Federal contractNASA · Analysis And Development Of UAV Operations In The Nas Aurora Flight Sciences, In Collaboration With Air Network Simulation And Analysis, Inc. (ansa), Proposes To Develop A Simulation-based Methodology To Analyze And Guide The Development Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Operations In The National Airspace System (nas).the Key Technical Accomplishment Of The Phase I Effort Will Be The Integration Of Aurora's 4D Path Planner With Ansa's Stochastic Nas Simulation. Within This Framework, The Path P$100K
Jan 2009Federal contractNASA · A Robust Flare Planning Logic For Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Applications Aurora Flight Sciences Proposes To Develop A Flare Planning Logic That Would Provide Aircraft Guidance During This Critical Phase Of Flight. The Algorithms That Aurora Seeks To Leverage Address The Reachability Problem In The Fields Of Optimal Control And Hybrid Systems. Two Competing Technical Approaches Will Beconsidered; Aurora Collectively Refers To Them As "safety Verification-based Algorithms."to This End, Aurora Propo$100K
Jan 2009Federal contractNASA · As Manned Missions To The Moon And Eventually Mars Gain Momentum, Astronaut Crews Will Be Sent Back To The Deepest Parts Of Space Humans Have Ever Traveled, And Will Continue Deeper Into Space Than Ever Before. Once Outside The Protection Of The Earth's Magnetic Field, Astronauts Become Fully Exposed To An Array Of Dangerous Charged Particles, Both Cosmic Rays (crs) And Solar Energetic Particles (seps). There Exists A Need To Provide A Comprehensive Picture Of The Energetic Charged Particle Envi$100K
Jan 2009Federal contractDefense · Darpa SBIR Ph II$810K
Jan 2009Federal contractDefense · Darpa SBIR Phase I$99K
Nov 2008Federal contractDefense · (STTR Phase I) Skycowboy$100K
Sep 2008Federal contractDefense · (STTR Phase I) Distributed Adaptive Control Of Engine Systems$100K
Sep 2008Federal contractDefense · SBIR Phase III Aurora Flight Sciences$626K
Sep 2008Federal contractDefense · Research And Development In The Physical, Engineering, And Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)$749K
Sep 2008Federal contractDefense · Research And Development In The Physical, Engineering, And Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)$736K
Sep 2008Federal contractDefense · Expanding Hemostatic Dressing$56K
Aug 2008Federal contractDefense · SBIR II - Bio-inspired Sensing And Hierarchical Gn&c For Traversing Urban Clutter$1.0M
Aug 2008Federal contractDefense · 82-3012-08 Spheres Satellite And Support Equipment Fabrication$419K
Jul 2008Federal contractDefense · Research And Development In The Physical, Engineering, And Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)$30K
Apr 2008Federal contractDefense · SBIR Phase I Topic N08-030$150K
Apr 2008Federal contractDefense · SBIR Phase I Topic N08-016$141K
Mar 2008Federal contractDefense · Vulture, Phase I$3.6M
Nov 2007Federal contractDefense · STTR Ph 2/ Inc. Funding - No Opt. $500K And Below (cpff) Guiding Act$500K
Jun 2007Federal contractDefense · Research And Development In The Physical, Engineering, And Life Sciences$100K
May 2007Federal contractDefense · Single Cell Machining Sys$1.7M
Apr 2007Federal contractDefense · Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft$2.1M
Sep 2006Federal contractDefense · Broad Agency Announcement - Basic Effort TAS::21 2020::TAS$29.2M
Sep 2006Federal contractDefense · Excalibur; Marine Conops Effort$752K
May 2006Federal contractDefense$12.5M
Nov 2004Federal contractDefense · 200507!500112!9700!HR0011!DARPA Contract Management Dir. !HR001105C0035 !a!n! !n! ! !20041129!20050528!604717165!604717165!604717165!N!AURORA Flight Sciences Corp !9950 Wakeman Dr !manassas !VA!20110!48952!683!51!MANASSAS !manassas (city) !virginia !+000002398275!N!N!000034550529!AC63!RDTE/ELECTRONICS&COMMUNICATION Eq-adv Tech Dev !A7 !electronics And Communication Equip !000 !* !541710!E! !3! ! ! ! ! !20200$19.1M
Apr 2003Federal contractNASA · High Altitude Deployment Demonstration (hadd)ii$12.2M

Federal awards are summed by year (195 awards); hover a bar for the split. Form D reports securities sold, which can differ from an announced round; filings are numbered in the order they were made.

2 records have no date or no amount, so they aren’t placed on the timeline.

Federal first

126months

from AURORA FLIGHT SCIENCES CORPORATION’s first federal award to its first private round.

First federal award · Apr 2003: NASA · $12.2M
First Form D · Oct 2013: $6.8M · 1st Form D
Awards before first raise: 123 awards

An association in public records, not a cause or a prediction.

Standing among 55 peers

Line = median

Aerospace · Software

Federal grantsBelow median

Cumulative measures favor older companies. Rankings describe position today, not outcome. Below the median, ranks show as a band rather than a number.

Founders and team

From SEC Form D filings

Daniel M. BradyExecutive OfficerNamed in SEC Form D filings
John J. CroninExecutive OfficerNamed in SEC Form D filings
John S. Langford IIIExecutive Officer, DirectorNamed in SEC Form D filings
John J. Tylko, Jr.Executive OfficerNamed in SEC Form D filings
Kristine T. MillerExecutive OfficerNamed in SEC Form D filings
Mark C. CherryExecutive OfficerNamed in SEC Form D filings

Show all 8 people

Ralph S. KochExecutive OfficerNamed in SEC Form D filings
Thomas M. ClancyExecutive OfficerNamed in SEC Form D filings

What it has protected

No granted patents are on record.

USPTO usually publishes applications 18 months after filing, so recent applications may not be visible yet. Patents assigned under a different entity name won’t match.

Checked: USPTO granted patents and published applications · Oct 23, 2026

FAIRWINDS TECHNOLOGIES LLCSimilar federal contract value in Aerospace · $1.6B in contracts
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FIBERTEK, INC.Similar federal contract value in Aerospace · $985M in contracts
SIGMATECH INCSimilar federal contract value in Aerospace · $777M in contracts
Axiom SpaceSimilar federal contract value in Aerospace · $603M in contracts
Kaman Precision ProductsSimilar federal contract value in Aerospace · $594M in contracts

Regulatory activity · Aerospace

Sector-level, not company-level

06 Jul 2026Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of NASA-Effectuation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964National Aeronautics and Space Administration
01 Jul 2026Special Conditions: AMAC Aerospace, The Boeing Company Model 747- 8 Airplane; Side-Facing SeatsFederal Aviation Administration
26 Jun 2026Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures; Miscellaneous AmendmentsFederal Aviation Administration
23 Jun 2026Operating Limitations at John F. Kennedy International AirportFederal Aviation Administration
23 Jun 2026Operating Limitations at New York LaGuardia AirportFederal Aviation Administration
18 Jun 2026Special Conditions: Honeywell Aerospace US LLC, Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 900EX Airplane; Electronic System Security Protection From Unauthorized External AccessFederal Aviation Administration

Rules are matched to sector, not to company. Recent activity in a sector is context rather than a signal about this business — until rules are matched to what a company actually builds, the section is shown as context and nothing more.

Sources

Federal grants from SBIR/STTR, NIH, NSF and DoD records. Federal contracts from USAspending.gov. Private capital from SEC Form D. Patents from USPTO. Publications from OpenAlex. Regulatory activity from the Federal Register. Press matched on company name.

How to read this page

Figures show associations in public records, not causes or predictions. Nothing here is investment advice. An em-dash means no record was found under this company's name, not that none exists.

Data freshness

SEC Form D filings through Oct 23, 2026. SBIR and STTR awards through Oct 21, 2026.