MESA Silicon Microfabrication team reduces production cycle time
The Microsystems Engineering, Science and Applications Silicon Microfabrication team has significantly reduced production cycle times, enabling early wafer deliveries and accelerating product teams’ learning cycles and risk mitigation testing. They have made important improvements, including faster processing of Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor 8 risk mitigation lots. As of January 2025, the team delivered 186 consecutive lots on or ahead of schedule, cutting production cycles for CMOS7, CMOS8, Silicon Photonics and Quantum Ion Trap in half. 5000
Cybersecurity advances in hypersonic weapons
The Cyber Threat Center’s Secure Engineering team successfully developed a security-enhanced bootloader for a hypersonic weapon system, crucial for initializing hardware and loading the operating system. They implemented cybersecurity improvements, enabling software signing and secure communication, building on an existing open-source project. A comprehensive security assessment was conducted concurrently with development, allowing for feedback integration before final delivery. The team met all objectives, delivered on time and exceeded expectations. 5000
Successful radio frequency test in challenging environments
The Strategic Radio Frequency and Electronic Systems team participated in an electronics field test with a sponsor in Colorado, successfully demonstrating interoperability of aircraft and ground-based interrogators with radio frequency tags. The testing allowed for user training, new software feature validation and full mission profiles in real-world disadvantaged environments, such as mountainous regions. 5000
CMOS8 advances in maturity and manufacturability
Sandia’s Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor 8 process has achieved level-five technology readiness and level-four manufacturing readiness, key milestones in technical maturity and manufacturability. These achievements demonstrate the readiness of the Microsystems Engineering, Science and Applications facility to support future stockpile needs, enabled by accelerated fabrication, design improvements and reduced programmatic risk through comprehensive chip testing. The progress enhances confidence in future deliverables. The success of these milestones reflects the collaboration and dedication of the silicon-fab, post-fab, radiation effects and broader CMOS8 teams. 5000
Novel nuclear threat assessment team
With significant support from Sandia’s Proliferation Assessments and Monitoring Systems Centers, a trilab team received the DOE Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence Director’s Alsos Award and the Administrator’s NNSA Achievement Award. The Alsos Award recognized the team for their analyses of a nuclear weapon system threatening U.S. national security. Their assessments provided critical insights for policymakers, earning praise from senior officials and highlighting the essential role of NNSA and its national laboratories in addressing national security threats. 5000, 6000
Conventional Prompt Strike and Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon tests
The Conventional Prompt Strike and Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon programs had two successful flight tests. The first was a live-fire event for the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon system using a battery operations center and transporter erector launcher — the second end-to-end flight test of the all-up round. The other flight test was the next step in the Navy’s program of the common all-up round that is being developed in partnership with the Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office. The Convention Prompt Strike program team has been diligently planning and executing engineering and test efforts to prepare for the first Navy fielding aboard the USS Zumwalt. 5000
W80-4 controller qualification
The Cross Verification Platform generated qualification evidence to achieve level-six technology readiness for the W80-4 controller. The platform allows for full hardware-in-the-loop testing of application-specific integrated circuits and of software packages used in production and during deployment. A combination of custom hardware and software developed by Sandia, the Cross Verification Platform provides the first capability, including in a classified environment, of testing at full operational speed. It accelerates testing and scoring of hardware and software against requirements, enabling agile controller solutions. 5000
Improved fetanyl detection
The Fentanyl Analog Independent Detector is portable technology that revolutionizes public safety by delivering critical detection capabilities to the field. Unlike older detection tools, FAID can recognize the basic chemical patterns found in fentanyl, which allows it to identify current and new versions of the drug. FAID can find fentanyl and its variations even in very small amounts and even when mixed with other substances. The technology is a significant step forward in chemical detection, helping to protect our military personnel, emergency responders and law enforcement. 8000
Sandia hosts X-ray Computed Tomography Symposium
At the request of a national security programs partner, Sandia hosted the 2025 X-ray Computed Tomography Symposium in February 2025. This collaborative effort drew 80-plus representatives from government, federally funded research and development centers and other partners for three days of technical briefings, tours of Sandia’s capabilities, a vendor show, demos and discussions about current and anticipated needs. Sandia’s cutting-edge research, partnerships and expertise were highlighted throughout the event. 1000, 5000
New technology expands high-power microwave capabilities
The Integrated Military System team has advanced pulsed power technology to expand and support a variety of High-Power Microwave missions for the DOD. With the Air Force Research Laboratory, the team developed a pulsed power system designed to fit in a Group IV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Using innovative solid-state technology, the team has enabled high-repetition-rate operation with a deep magazine, improving the overall system’s range. This was a major step toward using High-Power Microwave to protect high-value air assets. 5000
Exploratory Signal Processing Platform
The Exploratory Signal Processing Platform team demonstrated a circumvent-and-recover navigation system in an airborne flight test. It combined a state-of-the-art system-on-chip with a radiation-hardened processor in a six-degrees-of-freedom environment, using real-time GPS and inertial data to test how position uncertainty changed during disruptions. This enhanced solutions for combining advanced and threat-resilient computing. The team won an Employee Recognition Award for this work along with its broader investigation into commercial-off-the-shelf devices in high-consequence missions, paving the way for future flight computers. 5000
Multiservice Advanced Capability Hypersonics Testbed subscale test
The Integrated Military Systems team launched three sounding rocket test flights from the Kauai Test Facility. This test presented opportunities for valuable flight test experience and data collection in relevant ballistic reentry environments for a variety of payloads across multiple government agencies and programs, including Sandia projects funded by the DOE and NNSA. The effort included development of a new rocket configuration to support payload performance requirements while remaining within tight budget and schedule constraints. 1000, 5000
AI-informed tool shortens design time
Data scientists developed a tool that interprets user instructions and learns from software guides to rapidly produce ready-to-run scripts for model creation, meshing, simulation and analysis — eliminating the need for point-and-click interactions. The Multi-Agent Design Assistant tool revolutionizes the design and simulation process by using generative AI. It has demonstrated a significant acceleration in modeling creation, preparation and meshing tasks, reducing design time. As a result, engineers increase productivity and efficiency in their projects, enabling further innovation. This accomplishment marks a transformative step forward in Sandia’s design capabilities. 5000
New system safely neutralizes chemical weapons
Sandia’s Explosive Destruction System successfully designed and tested a new 14-pack configuration to neutralize a 4.2-inch chemical weapon round at the Explosives Test Facility in Albuquerque. Once implemented, this process configuration will increase efficiency by about 230%, up to 28 rounds per shot, of the new Explosive Destruction System Phase 3 vessel, delivered to the U.S. Army in February 2026. The new system and process configuration will be used in a decades-long campaign to safely neutralize tens of thousands of recovered chemical rounds at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. 5000
Machine-assisted anomaly detection
The Machine Assisted Anomaly Detection System team developed and demonstrated a prototype system that uses both proprietary and open-source image analysis algorithms to automate visual inspection of nuclear deterrent components. The system delivers faster, lower cost inspections with heightened defect sensitivity. By mining rich inspection imagery, it identified early anomalies and uncovered hidden quality issues. The system operates alongside human inspectors, providing objective judgments that augment expertise, reduce bias and boost verification confidence. It is now funded for production integration to support inspection of a nuclear deterrence component. 5000, 7000
MESA futures
Sandia secured budget requests from NNSA and the Presidential Budget Request for the Microsystems Engineering, Science and Applications Photolithography Capability and Microelectronics Components Capability initiatives. This funding, totaling $30 million for the Photolithography Capability, is crucial for advancing Sandia’s silicon fabrication capabilities. This initiative will create new cleanroom space for advanced photolithography tools, while the Microelectronics Components Capability initiative will modernize the aging Silicon Fabrication Facility. These initiatives are vital for enhancing Sandia’s ability to deliver silicon-based microelectronics to the national stockpile and are set to reach critical decision zero in fiscal year 2026. 5000
Sandia secures $125 million over five years in National Quantum Research Center renewal
The DOE Office of Science has awarded funding for the Quantum Systems Accelerator 2.0 proposal, co-led by Sandia and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The initiative will receive $125 million over the next five years to advance quantum systems. As the co-lead of this National Quantum Information Science Research Center, Sandia will play a pivotal role in driving innovation and delivering results that advance quantum research and technology, benefiting both science and society. Additionally, Sandia leads the ecosystem development team, enhancing meaningful industry partnerships and preparing the next generation quantum workforce. 1000, 5000, 8000, LBNL
Hypersonic missile defense test
Sandia supported the Missile Defense Agency by designing and providing a front end for a Hypersonic Target Vehicle 1, used for a Medium Range Ballistic Missile, and participated in the air-launch process. The target vehicle is engineered to test and defeat various hypersonic threats. The flight test also provided a data collection opportunity for the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor demonstration satellite. 5000
Route prediction without historical track data
Researchers developed Goal-Oriented Route Prediction, which enables anticipatory path analysis without relying on representative historical track data. It generates trajectories that are consistent with scenario goals, such as minimizing travel time or fuel usage, and constraints, such as terrain mobility limitations. The technology provides rich options for robust path planning or infers likely routes of mobile threats. It was developed to analyze travel over any mix of networks and open terrain considering vehicle physics. Goal-Oriented Route Prediction has been nominated for the Military Operations Research Society 2026 Barchi Prize and received considerable sponsor interest. 1000, 5000, LDRD
SkyFox hypersonic test platform
SkyFox is a low-cost, high-risk, high-reward approach for rapidly developing hypersonic test vehicles. Originally funded in October 2024, the SkyFox team designed, manufactured and assembled two test vehicles that were successfully fielded at Dugway Proving Ground in August 2025. Combining a high-altitude balloon launch platform with a custom parachute recovery system allowed the program to move fast while minimizing cost. Building off lessons learned, multiple flight campaigns are scheduled for 2026. 1000, 5000