ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Testing weapons and components in a lab-controlled environment has always been at the center of Sandia National Laboratories’ mission. Since the U.S. stopped underground explosives tests on weapons in the early 1990s, Sandia has developed other methods to conduct experiments that mimic the range of environments a weapons unit might experience. A […]
Author Archives: Kenny Vigil
In-house advanced manufacturing techniques help meet mission needs
July 17, 2024 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A group at Sandia National Laboratories is transforming how it develops custom electronic connectors for weapons systems. The Rapid Development Connectors program is a five-year National Nuclear Security Administration-funded project to build a team and lab space capable of fabricating and delivering functional connectors in less than four weeks. The program’s overall […]
Major milestone reached for key weapons component
April 23, 2024 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories and the Kansas City National Security Campus completed a crucial weapons component development milestone, prior to full rate production. The Mark 21 Replacement Fuze interfaces with the W87-0 warhead for deployment onto the Minuteman III and, eventually, the Sentinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. The first production unit of the replacement fuze […]
Sandia collaboration produces improved microneedle technology
March 18, 2024 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Microneedles measure only two to three times the diameter of human hair and about a millimeter long. But their impact is significant, from helping U.S. service members in the field diagnose infections earlier, to helping individuals monitor their own health. Sandia National Laboratories is at the forefront of microneedle research and is […]
Engineer taps into Sandia’s deep knowledge base to design high-reliability component
February 26, 2024 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Robert Petterborg saw an opportunity to improve a critical part used to test a weapons system. Using his spare time at work and with the help of his Sandia National Laboratories colleagues, he designed a new cable connector that eliminates misalignments that could interfere with testing and potentially damage hardware. “I wasn’t […]
Chasing the light: Sandia study finds new clues about warming in the Arctic
January 15, 2024 – 9:43 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Arctic, Earth’s icy crown, is experiencing a climate crisis like no other. It’s heating up at a furious pace — four times faster than the rest of our planet. Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories are pulling back the curtain on the reduction of sunlight reflectivity, or albedo, which is supercharging the […]
Rocks may hold key to storing intermittent renewable energy, expanding its use
October 24, 2023 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories is collaborating with New Mexico-based CSolPower LLC to develop an affordable method of storing energy from renewable sources. The primary goal of the partnership is to transition to zero-carbon solar and wind energy for generating electricity. “You need to have energy storage and dispatchable power when renewable energy is […]