Earthquake or underground explosion?
Sandia researchers, as part of a group of NNSA scientists, have wrapped up years of field experiments to improve the United States’ ability to differentiate earthquakes from underground explosions, key knowledge needed to advance the nation’s monitoring and verification capabilities for detecting underground nuclear explosions.
NNSA associate principal deputy administrator visits Sandia
Newly-appointed NNSA Associate Principal Deputy Administrator David Huizenga visited Sandia’s Albuquerque campus July 15 to learn more about the critical national security work being performed at the Labs in support of NNSA’s mission.
Dragonflies: A lesson in missile defense
Dragonflies catch 95% of their prey, crowning them one of the top predators in the world. Now, Sandia researchers are discovering how dragonfly brains might be wired to be extremely efficient at calculating complex trajectories. Their discoveries could lead to improvements in missile defense systems.
Strategic Priority No. 3
Strategic Priority No. 3: Never surprises, always options: Anticipating threats to national security through Intelligence Science
Strategic priority No. 2 prepares for future nuclear deterrent
Today, more than ever, there is urgency for Sandia’s Nuclear Deterrence portfolio to implement strategic initiatives that explore, research and refine “big ideas” and innovative approaches for nuclear deterrence on the 15- to 20-year time horizon, and in many cases much sooner. Such initiatives are the focus of our Labs-level strategic priority No. 2 — Maintain an Agile and Effective Nuclear Deterrent.
A day in the life of Sandia — 70 years and counting
To mark the 70th anniversary of President Truman’s letter that inspired Sandia to “… exceptional service,” Lab News photographer Randy Montoya spent a full day chronicling the people and work that make the Labs hum from sun up to sundown.
Future hypersonics could be artificially intelligent
A test launch for a hypersonic weapon — a long-range missile that flies a mile per second and faster — takes weeks of planning, and it's uncertain how useful test systems will be against urgent, mobile or evolving threats. But Sandia's hypersonics developers think artificial intelligence and autonomy could slash these weeks to minutes for deployed systems.
B61-12 team reaches milestones in nuclear deterrence mission
Sandia’s B61-12 nuclear weapons team has accomplished several milestones, including the gravity bomb’s final design review and the first production completion of several components for the life extension program. Sandia and LANL presented the B61-12 design for final review to an independent peer-review panel of 12 military and civilian experts last fall.
Device in Z machine measures power for nuclear fusion
To better determine energy leaks at Sandia’s powerful Z machine — where remarkable gains in fusion outputs have occurred over the last two and a half decades, including a tripling of output in 2018 — a joint team from Sandia and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories has installed an upgraded laser diagnostic system.
Air Force officials learn about Sandia/CA weapons contributions
U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, deputy chief of staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, visited Sandia California last month to familiarize himself with the site’s contributions to national security through nuclear weapons.