Sandia National Laboratory
SITE DESCRIPTION - NNSA FY2005 Congressional Budget Request (625-632)

History
The Sandia/NM site was a branch of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) before becoming a separate entity, in 1949, under management of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company. In 1993, Martin Marietta-Lockheed Martin assumed responsibility for the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) management contract. The SNL/Livermore site, in Livermore, California opened in 1956.

A Record of Decision on the Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for the continued operation of the laboratory was published in December 1999. The preferred alternative is for expanded operations consistent with the Record of Decision for the Stockpile Stewardship and Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, issued December 19, 1996. The statement includes the environmental analysis for the Microsystems and Engineering Science Application (MESA) facility.

The Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs is both the Cognizant Secretarial Officer, having line management accountability for SNL, and the Lead Program Secretarial Officer, responsible for landlord activities and overall SNL site integration and operations.

Management
Lockheed Martin Corporation. The current contract expires September 30, 2008.

WEAPONS ACTIVITIES

Directed Stockpile Work (DSW)
SNL supports DSW activities to: ensure the reliability, safety and security of the current and future nuclear weapon stockpile in an affordable manner; define, prioritize and integrate the science and technology needs of the future stockpile while reducing risk, cycle times and cost; deliver all required production hardware on time and at the lowest achievable cost; assure integration occurs without costly gaps and overlaps among Defense Programs and Sandia National Laboratories’ (SNL) Nuclear Weapons Strategic Management Unit programs; acquire, nurture, and deploy the people necessary to carry out the mission and provide them with the knowledge and information to do their job in a secure manner; and ensure the Nation has confidence in the SNL ability to assure the surety of the nuclear weapons stockpile and protect the information entrusted to SNL.

SNL supports the Life Extension Program (LEP) activities and, in FY 2005, will support the W76-1 Development Joint Test Assemblies (JTA) 1-2 and 1-3. In September 2005, for the October 2005 follow-on CINC (commander-in-chief) evaluation test (FCET) – 34 and on the W80-3, SNL will conduct final design review and independent peer review (IPRs) and issue associated engineering releases per the W80-3 baseline schedule. Within the Enduring Stockpile activities, SNL supports the requirements to keep the stockpile safe, secure and reliable by supporting weapon alterations (ALTs) and, in FY 2005, will conduct B61-3,4,7,10, & 11 ALT 356/358/359 development, design, and peer review and initiate flight test by the end of FY 2005. Within the production mission, in FY 2005, SNL will complete all production deliverables in accordance with the W76 Program Management Document (PMD) schedules and the LEP Integrated Schedules by the end of September 2005.

In addition, Sandia will begin testing JTA 4 qualification unit and complete the W87 JTA 4 Final Design Review in February 2005. Finally, SNL activities support multiple systems and, in this area, SNL will support Use Control System Development, JTA technology development, Pre-Phase 3 Studies, Code Management System Initial Operational Capability, U. S. Strategic Command Advanced Code and Control/Navy Depot, AFMC Depot, Pantex, and the Advanced Military Technologies Memorandum of Understanding.

Science Campaign
SNL leverages its unique capabilities as the DOE Pulsed Power Center for Excellence for a variety of Science Campaign missions. These include design, development, and deployment of state of the art compact, reliable, and high intensity flash x-ray radiographic sources for SubCritical Experiments (SCEs) at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and above-ground dynamic experiments at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE). SNL also develops intense energetic radiation sources, sophisticated x-ray diagnostics, and the Z-Beamlet Laser radiography capability and supports their utilization by LANL for Secondary Assessment Technology ($2.1M in FY 2005) in radiation transport, complex hydrodynamics, and integrated implosions. Pulsed power also provides another unique capability to isentropically compress (i.e. shocklessly) and shock compress materials to high pressures thus providing equation of state and constitutive property data to SNL, LANL and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) materials communities for inclusion in models and the quantification of margins process. In addition, SNL is developing new material processes and modeling in nonnuclear materials to advance the state-of-the-art.

SNL supports other areas within the Science Campaign Subprogram. In the Primary Assessment Technology activities, ($5.1M in FY 2005) SNL, with Bechtel Nevada and LANL, is deploying the twin pulsed Cygnus accelerators at the NTS for the Armando SCE and are developing advanced high intensity electron sources for more penetrating future dynamic experimental missions. In the Dynamic Materials Properties activities, ($7.9M in FY 2005) SNL will provide equation of state (EOS) data on explosives and byproducts plus validate multi-materials sintering models. Within the Secondary Assessment Technology activities, SNL will prepare for utilizing the higher currents that will be available when the Refurbished Z facility is commissioned in FY 2006.

Engineering Campaign
Through the Engineering Campaign, Sandia is developing the product technologies and assessment tools required to support the design, qualification, and continued certification of the existing nuclear weapon stockpile, currently planned refurbishments, and any potential new weapon developments, as authorized. Specifically, Enhanced Surety activities ($33 M in FY 2005) develop architectures, subsystems, components, and technologies to enhance the safety, security, and use control of the stockpile. Scheduled refurbishments provide one timeline against which to mature technologies, and the campaign is now developing surety options and technologies for the B61 and W78 LEPs.

Weapons Systems Engineering Assessment Technology activities ($23 M in FY 2005) provide state-ofthe- art experimental capabilities that are closely integrated with our computational activities and activities that are targeted to support the qualification, certification, and assessment of enduring stockpile systems and Stockpile LEPs. Nuclear Survivability activities ($22 M in FY 2005) develop the qualification technologies needed to assess the performance of nonnuclear components in hostile environments. Development of radiation-hardened processes and technologies will also be demonstrated. Enhanced Surveillance activities at Sandia provide key thrusts in Sandia's program for the development of advanced surveillance testers for the Weapons Evaluation Test Laboratory (WETL), development of advanced telemetry for enhanced fidelity instrumentation, prototyping of a modern component surveillance program, and the fundamental materials research necessary to underpin advanced materials and subsystem models.

Sandia’s largest-to-date construction project, the Microsystems Engineering Sciences and Applications (MESA) Complex, officially broke ground on major facility construction activities on August 19, 2003.

Inertial Confinement Fusion Ignition and High Yield (ICF) Campaign
The SNL ICF activities support the High Energy Density Physics (HEDP) experimental program on the Z pulsed power facility. In FY 2004 and FY 2005, SNL will be reaching full single shift operation of the Z facility to accommodate a greater number of the requested stockpile stewardship experiments (the Dynamic Materials, Secondary Assessment Technology, and Nuclear Survivability activities and DSW issues), pulsed power ICF and x-ray source development, and a combination of basic science, z-pinch physics, power flow, and Inertial Fusion Energy experiments. The ICF Subprogram also maintains, operates, and develops the diagnostics capability associated with the Z-Beamlet back lighter facility that is coupled to the Z pulsed-power facility. Research at these facilities is performed in cooperation and collaboration with the other national laboratories, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, universities, and Atomic Weapons Establishment.

Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASCI) Campaign
The ASCI activities at Sandia will deliver validated software for application to the SNL nuclear weapon stockpile mission, the computing infrastructure to provide a user environment for the SNL weapon engineers and analysts, and the ASCI-scale computing platforms for both capability and capacity computing requirements. SNL supports numerous areas within the ASCI Campaign that are integrated across the nuclear weapons complex. In FY 2005, SNL will move the 40-T Red Storm computer into a full production environment. Also, In FY 2005, SNL will deliver a validation process to support the W76-1 qualification in hostile blast and impulse environments, deliver validated models for thermalmechanical shock for first application to the W76-1, and deliver a validated model for 3-Dimensional box internal electromagnetic pulse for first application to the W76-1.

Construction projects in support of ASCI that are currently underway at Sandia include: the Distributed Information Systems Laboratory (DISL) in Livermore, California and the Joint Computational Engineering Laboratory in Albuquerque.

Readiness Campaign
SNL supports numerous areas within the Readiness Campaign. For the Advanced Design and Production Technologies (ADAPT) activities, ($17.6 M in FY 2005) SNL provides a leadership role as the Nuclear Weapons Complex system integrator, having a significant role in production and associated process development decisions and as the engineering Design Agency. SNL leads in the support of enabling technologies for production of advanced concepts. SNL also leads in the enterprise integration functions due primarily to the leadership and expertise in the information environment designs and developments. The ADAPT activities will support high priority activities currently underway including complete complex-wide availability of secure, distributed electronic access to weapon information (FY 2006); and complete highest-priority Nuclear Weapons Complex Technical and Infrastructure Business Practices. (FY 2005)

The SNL Nonnuclear Readiness role ($6.1 M in FY 2005) is scaled to the respective portion of production responsibilities and is generally, at this time, limited to the replacement or refurbishment of obsolete equipment, primarily testers for neutron generators, for SNL production mission responsibilities.

Readiness in Technical Base and Facilities (RTBF)
The types of projects within RTBF range from the staffing and operation of complex experimental capabilities (e.g., Z, SNL Pulsed Reactor, and Tech Area-III Full Scale Test Facilities) or production capabilities (e.g., Microelectronics Development Laboratory and Neutron Generator Plant) to the infrastructure fundamentals of Decommissioning and Demolition and General Plant Projects (GPPs). The common thread is that the RTBF activities are essential to develop and maintain the suite of capabilities necessary for SNL to be able to carry out its Defense Program missions today and in the future.

Construction projects currently in design or underway at Sandia include: Weapons Evaluation Test Laboratory (being constructed by SNL at Pantex); Test Capabilities Revitalization, Phase I; and Exterior Communications Infrastructure Modernization. Design will be initiated in FY 2005 for the Test Capabilities Revitalization, Phase II, project.

Safeguards and Security
In FY 2005 through FY 2007, efforts will support the restart of the Sandia Pulse Reactor, which will be used to support a Defense Programs Weapons Initiative. In FY 2005-09 SNL will complete four phases to develop a baseline for transition from an aging manually-operated electronic security system to an automated access control function.

As part of the National Threat Level Alert System, the laboratories may occasionally have to implement additional compensatory security measures. These periods of heightened security require an increased expenditure of funds and use of resources. The laboratories have developed a Design Basis Threat (DBT) Implementation Plan to address new DBT protection requirements.

Nuclear Weapons Incident Response (NWIR)
SNL NWIR activities include the conduct of operations and technical integration in support of the Joint Technical Operations Team (JTOT), Accident Response Group (ARG), and Home Team (HT) in the form of: Technical Support, Research & Development, Intelligence Support, Field Operations, and Training & Exercises.

Facilities and Infrastructure Recapitalization Program
Refurbishment projects for the facilities housing the Light Initiated High Explosive Complex, Radiography, Vibration Facility, Explosives Applications, and the Photometrics and Data Acquisition activities are essential to meet NNSA requirements. The Z-Accelerator facility repairs are meeting the demands of several Campaigns. Execution of the deferred maintenance projects for these facilities is reducing the backlog for the site. Facility Disposition activity has reduced excess facility areas by some 150,000 gross square feet at the site.

Two projects will be initiating design at Sandia: the New Master Substation, TA I & IV, will begin design in FY 2004, and the TA-I Heating System Modernization project will begin design in FY 2005.

DEFENSE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION

Nonproliferation and International Security
The Treaty Verification & Nonproliferation and International Security (NIS) Technology Program involves the development of the technology to monitor compliance with treaties relating to nuclear testing limitations. These technologies encompass both space-based and earth-based sensor systems. Successful development and deployment of these systems will allow the United States and, in some cases, our international partners, to monitor treaty compliance.

The International Security Program involves five broad areas of responsibility including: International Nuclear Security (particularly Russia), International Border Security, Regional Security Cooperative Engagements, International Safeguards and Physical Security, and other NIS Activities Internationally. These activities involve cooperative bilateral or multilateral activities that differentiate this program from other unilateral activities that support the U.S. NIS strategies. Objectives are accomplished by providing technically informed policy support including, where appropriate, the development of integrated technology solutions to address the needs of a wide range of partners and customers, both domestically and internationally.

Nonproliferation and Verification Research and Development
The SNL will develop, demonstrate, and validate improvements to data processing and analysis tools in support of nuclear explosion monitoring. Sandia will support the development new spectral detectors for next generation of U.S. satellite-based monitoring to detect nuclear detonations. SNL serves as the national center on research on Synthetic Aperture Radar systems and analysis methods for national security applications. SNL will continue field-testing a remote chemical detection system for stand off detection of nuclear weapon production activities. SNL will continue to develop radiation algorithms to improve performance of commercially available handheld and portal systems.

International Nuclear Materials Protection and Cooperation
Based on their extensive work for the NNSA, Department of Defense (DoD), and other federal agencies, SNL provides experience with the design and installation of physical protection systems and has specific technical expertise in access delay systems; intrusion detection and assessment systems and associated display systems; access control systems; and vulnerability analysis procedures, processes and associated computer codes. The SNL also provides expertise to advise Russian institutes and enterprises as they develop and implement physical protection systems, regulations, and training programs and to support NNSA's Second Line of Defense and Radiological Threat Reduction programs.