nuclear weapons

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Transforming environmental testing one shake at a time
July 25, 2024 • 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...
Categories: Military / Defense, Nuclear Weapons
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Major milestone for B61-12 life extension program
February 2, 2022 • ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories marked a major milestone when the Nuclear Security Enterprise successfully produced the first completely refurbished bomb for the B61-12 life extension program in November 2021. “This is the first complete unit built with nuclear and non-nuclear components that has been fully qualified from the...
Categories: Nuclear Weapons
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New weapons testing capability produces richer data, saves time, cost
July 20, 2021 • LIVERMORE, Calif. — A team of Sandia National Laboratories engineers developed a new testing capability in support of its nuclear weapons mission. The team completed their first combined-environments test on a full-scale weapons system at the Sandia Superfuge/Centrifuge co…
Categories: Nuclear Weapons, Science / Technology / Engineering
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An experimental test system is mounted on the centrifuge arm prior to combined environments testing at the Sandia National Laboratories Superfuge/Centrifuge Complex in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Virtual support from Sandia enabled B61-12 flight test on F-35A jet fighter
November 9, 2020 • ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Overcoming COVID-19 pandemic challenges through virtual means, teams from Sandia National Laboratories and the U.S. Air Force under the guidance of the National Nuclear Security Administration performed a critical B61-12 flight test aboard the F-35A Lightning II jet fighter. The flight test at Edwards Air Force Base...
Categories: Coronavirus, Military / Defense, Nuclear Weapons
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F-35A fighter jet in flight

Expanding testing capacity for Sandia weapons modernization programs
September 30, 2020 • LIVERMORE, Calif. — Lisa E. Gordon-Hagerty, administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration and Department of Energy’s under secretary for nuclear security, joined Sandia National Laboratories Deputy Labs Director Dori Ellis and other Sandia leaders today for a tour of the newest facility in nuclear weapons systems engineering at Sandia’s...
Categories: Nuclear Weapons, Science / Technology / Engineering
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Sandia weapons program meets safety, design requirements
June 29, 2020 • ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories has successfully completed another milestone in the B61-12 gravity bomb refurbishment program, demonstrating the labs is meeting important nuclear safety and use-control requirements. “The Combined Engineering Judgment is an important step toward ensuring the B61-12 Life Extension Program is on track, and Sandia is...
Categories: Military / Defense, Nuclear Weapons
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Sandia initiatives to protect US energy grid and nuclear weapons systems
March 23, 2020 • ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — To deter attempts to disable U.S. electrical utilities and to defend U.S. nuclear weapon systems from evolving technological threats, Sandia National Laboratories has begun two multiyear initiatives to strengthen U.S. responses. One is focused on defending large U.S. electrical utility systems from potential attacks by hostile nations,...
Categories: Climate Change, Cybersecurity, Energy / Environment / Water, Homeland security, Military / Defense, Nuclear Weapons, Physics, Science / Technology / Engineering
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Power Grid

Blast tube tests at Sandia simulate shock wave conditions nuclear weapons could face
September 10, 2018 • ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — You can learn a lot from a blast tube. You can learn more when you couple blast experiments with computer modeling. Sandia National Laboratories researchers are using a blast tube configurable to 120 feet to demonstrate how well nuclear weapons could survive the shock wave of a...
Categories: Military / Defense, Nuclear Weapons, Science / Technology / Engineering
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Sandia National Laboratories researchers are using a blast tube to demonstrate how well nuclear weapons could survive the shock wave of a blast from an enemy weapon and to help validate the computer modeling.

Sandia computer modeling aids solder reliability in nuclear weapons
December 19, 2017 • ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Solder isn’t the first thing that comes to mind as essential to a nuclear weapon. But since weapons contain hundreds of thousands of solder joints, each potentially a point of failure, Sandia National Laboratories has developed and refined computer models to predict their performance and reliability. “Computational...
Categories: Computing, Nuclear Weapons, Science / Technology / Engineering
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Three Sandia engineers recognized for contributions to advancing women in STEM
October 24, 2017 • ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Three Sandia National Laboratories engineers have been recognized by the Society of Women Engineers as part of its annual awards program for their support in the enrichment and advancement of women in engineering. Janet Williams won the Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes members who have made significant...
Categories: Awards, Science / Technology / Engineering
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Evaluating nuclear weapons: Sandia Labs taking a modern approach
March 1, 2017 • ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories is transforming how it assesses nuclear weapons in a stockpile made up of weapons at different stages in their lifecycles — some systems that have existed for decades alongside those that have undergone life extension programs. Back when the United States was developing new...
Categories: Nuclear Weapons
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‘Cold War Warriors:’ Sandia’s decades in nuclear weapons
May 9, 2016 • ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories video producer Myra Buteau swept a hand toward the top shelf of a bookcase stuffed with black cases of high-definition tapes. The biggest challenge in telling the story of Sandia’s years of above-ground and underground nuclear weapon field tests, she said, was condensing the...
Categories: History, Nuclear Weapons
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Sandia National Laboratories video producer Myra Buteau interviewed more than 40 people who spent their careers in above-ground and underground nuclear weapons testing. The result is a documentary, "Cold War Warriors."

Hardware from old nuclear weapons systems becomes valuable teaching resource
July 30, 2015 • ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories is preserving the history of nuclear weapons in hardware developed since the start of the nuclear era as a way to connect new generations of weapons engineers to the engineering work of past generations. “Tremendous amounts of knowledge are represented by this hardware, and...
Categories: Nuclear Weapons, Science / Technology / Engineering
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Always/Never: Sandia documentary tells story of nuclear weapons safety, security
June 15, 2015, Media Advisory • ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories’ documentary, Always/Never: The Quest for Safety, Control & Survivability, showcases rare historical footage and interviews with a wide range of experts to describe how national security laboratories improved the safety and security of nuclear weapons from the dawn of the nuclear age to the...
Categories: Media advisories, Nuclear Weapons
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Studies look at long-term aging of electronics in nuclear weapons
December 4, 2014 • ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories is studying how environments, including radiation that originates from a nuclear weapon itself, could affect the performance of electronics in the W76-1 warhead as they age. Sandia, which is responsible for most non-nuclear components in U.S. nuclear weapons, is helping replace W76 warheads in...
Categories: Nuclear Weapons
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W88 warhead program performs successful tests
October 28, 2014 • ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The first flight and drop tests for the latest variant of the W88 nuclear warhead are providing data for Sandia National Laboratories to validate designs, improve computer modeling and update component specifications. The two successful tests, which were conducted this summer, provide data for the program, the...
Categories: Nuclear Weapons, Science / Technology / Engineering
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Survivor: Sandia ensures US nuclear weapons deterrent can remain effective, credible
July 22, 2014 • ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It may sound strange to say that nuclear weapons must survive radiation. But as part of its mission of ensuring the nation’s stockpile is safe, secure and effective as a deterrent, Sandia National Laboratories must make sure crucial parts can function if they’re hit by radiation, especially...
Categories: Computing, Nuclear Weapons, Science / Technology / Engineering
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Wind tunnel tests support improved aerodynamic design of B61-12 bomb
April 14, 2014 • ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories has finished eight days of testing a full-scale mock unit representing the aerodynamic characteristics of the B61-12 gravity bomb in a wind tunnel. The tests on the mock-up were done to establish the configuration that will deliver the necessary spin motion of the bomb...
Categories: Nuclear Weapons
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Sandia conducts first impact test in years of B61 nonnuclear components
January 14, 2014 • ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A ground-penetrating bomb, minus its nuclear components, rammed through a target at the remote Coyote Canyon test range last month in Sandia National Laboratories’ first such rocket-driven impact test in seven years. Engineers said the Sandia components on the weapon performed as expected. “Really nice work,” said...
Categories: Nuclear Weapons, Science / Technology / Engineering
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