Sandia National Laboratories

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), also known as Sandia, is one of three <a href="/facts/Research_and_development/2h5UddUu">research and development</a> laboratories of the <a href="/facts/United_States_Department_of_Energy/PRp6Cz8g">United States Department of Energy</a>'s <a href="/facts/National_Nuclear_Security_Administration/s0xIr6ka">National Nuclear Security Administration</a> (NNSA). Headquartered in <a href="/facts/Kirtland_Air_Force_Base/srxERFso">Kirtland Air Force Base</a> in <a href="/facts/Albuquerque%2c_New_Mexico/SATmBfJb">Albuquerque, New Mexico</a>, it has a second principal facility next to <a href="/facts/Lawrence_Livermore_National_Laboratory/WuXIbIKz">Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory</a> in <a href="/facts/Livermore%2c_California/PKRFAQXw">Livermore, California</a>, and a test facility in <a href="/facts/Waimea%2c_Kauai_County%2c_Hawaii/oNE0NstP">Waimea, Kauai, Hawaii</a>. Sandia is owned by the <a href="/facts/Federal_government_of_the_United_States/VJCxUaf7">U.S. federal government</a> but <a href="/facts/Privately_held_company/B4wdkyJX">privately</a> managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, a wholly owned subsidiary of <a href="/facts/Honeywell_International/qjkujlwJ">Honeywell International</a>.
Established in 1949, SNL is a "multimission laboratory" with the primary goal of advancing <a href="/facts/National_security_of_the_United_States/p27xGdWQ">U.S. national security</a> by developing various <a href="/facts/High_tech/td2FYKeX">science-based technologies</a>. Its work spans roughly 70 areas of activity, including <a href="/facts/Nuclear_deterrence/rllU6aJf">nuclear deterrence</a>, <a href="/facts/Arms_control/Jzpvsxwm">arms control</a>, <a href="/facts/Nonproliferation/f8dSJyAR">nonproliferation</a>, <a href="/facts/Hazardous_waste/hvbE6Cup">hazardous waste disposal</a>, and <a href="/facts/Climate_change/rEN4BDE7">climate change</a>. Sandia hosts a wide variety of research initiatives, including <a href="/facts/Computational_biology/GxgNfwcX">computational biology</a>, <a href="/facts/Physics/a7aH2y08">physics</a>, <a href="/facts/Materials_science/N5HrXRYW">materials science</a>, <a href="/facts/Alternative_energy/EnD6dsKV">alternative energy</a>, <a href="/facts/Psychology/duoqW7Sz">psychology</a>, <a href="/facts/Microelectromechanical_systems/TkhEzDpm">MEMS</a>, and <a href="/facts/Cognitive_science/8qoggl7r">cognitive science</a>. Most notably, it hosted some of the world's earliest and fastest <a href="/facts/Supercomputer/HT9NwGAN">supercomputers</a>, <a href="/facts/ASCI_Red/4vP9Hmko">ASCI Red</a> and <a href="/facts/Red_Storm_(computing)/CCNEw2Tg">ASCI Red Storm</a>, and is currently home to the <a href="/facts/Z_Pulsed_Power_Facility/zSCKHpXY">Z Machine</a>, the largest <a href="/facts/X-ray/wseP79cN">X-ray</a> generator in the world, which is designed to test materials in conditions of extreme <a href="/facts/Temperature/QyGe4gmj">temperature</a> and <a href="/facts/Pressure/eyc37GRG">pressure</a>.
Sandia conducts research through partnership agreements with academic, governmental, and commercial entities; educational opportunities are available through several programs, including the Securing Top Academic Research & Talent at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (START HBCU) Program and the Sandia University Partnerships Network (a collaboration with <a href="/facts/Purdue_University/dRuTdltL">Purdue University</a>, <a href="/facts/University_of_Texas_at_Austin/6NApstxT">University of Texas at Austin</a>, <a href="/facts/Georgia_Institute_of_Technology/HKtrUSao">Georgia Institute of Technology</a>, <a href="/facts/University_of_Illinois_Urbana%25E2%2580%2593Champaign/gusw7HoS">University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign</a>, and <a href="/facts/University_of_New_Mexico/7KnmajYB">University of New Mexico</a>).

Sandia National Laboratories open-in-new

Sandia National Laboratories