#: locale=en ## Action ### URL LinkBehaviour_FFA35422_F502_BA3C_41B5_9C0468E91EC4.source = http://tours.sandia.gov/mantl_info.html LinkBehaviour_FFA30422_F502_BA3C_41DE_AAE9A11C997A.source = http://tours.sandia.gov/support.html LinkBehaviour_FFA2A422_F502_BA3C_41C8_3FDD6E199A0D.source = http://tours.sandia.gov/tours.html LinkBehaviour_FFA28422_F502_BA3C_41E0_1468492A8F08.source = http://tours.sandia.gov/tours.html ## Hotspot ### Tooltip HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_B7106EF8_B2CD_DA67_4196_139198902808.toolTip = Eyes in the Sky at Sandia HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_E7B12993_F52E_44FA_41E5_9F2D2398446C.toolTip = Fun Fact: That’s No Rocket Pop, That’s an Ice Penetrator HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_80F93F1D_97CC_3BD9_41D0_42E980C9DB73.toolTip = Fun Fact: The Real Facility Owners HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_E8745016_F9A3_4785_41B4_3459399EBAF6.toolTip = Fun Fact: Who’s There? 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HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_0DEC0FB3_30A0_F797_41B7_1C0AED7A2CED.toolTip = Putting a Stop to it HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_86E8AB6C_96BF_FA7F_41DC_F04434C8473D.toolTip = Reaching to the Sky HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_E4EAB12D_F535_C42E_41C2_CCDBFB65D19E.toolTip = Slide Show: Houston, We Need a Solution HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_BCA6393A_B7C3_E7DB_4165_F24AE85F7991.toolTip = Sometimes You Need to Go Deeper HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_EA6A0376_F9A0_C985_41DF_5019DE89A2AD.toolTip = Test Control HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_057E62D8_30A3_A991_41A2_0ED0FCB0520E.toolTip = Testing in the Desert HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_FB5E0128_F4EE_45D6_41DE_3AFDB839F597.toolTip = The (Other) Two Towers HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_8505B2CB_9645_EAB9_41DB_B75A8915B0BB.toolTip = Time to Suit Up HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_866232D1_9644_2AA9_41C4_A005029162F4.toolTip = To 185 Foot Tower HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_86BF3EB0_96C4_DAE7_41E0_273D70E7D35D.toolTip = To 300 Foot Tower HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_8065936C_97C4_2A7F_41DA_D64DA530BBA3.toolTip = Video: Going Down? HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_E9AA9A10_E9FC_E101_41E0_211FD243E6E9.toolTip = Video: It’s Like Exploring the Titanic…But Not HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_7F979106_6390_13C7_41C1_A8F51B3FB889.toolTip = Video: Keeping it Tense HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_BC70EAC3_B7C5_FAA9_418D_7D9F1C9BE73F.toolTip = Video: Portable Control HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_876AC749_96C4_2BB9_41DD_1907B291D58C.toolTip = Video: Row, Row, Row Your Boat HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_B1E137E9_B2CC_6A79_41C4_0756DF1D3764.toolTip = Video: Safety on the Fly HotspotPanoramaOverlayArea_86309F3C_97FC_DBDF_41DF_E019EED58EBC.toolTip = Video: Taking Things to New Heights ## Media ### Floorplan ### Image imlevel_8028A50E_8CAA_07F6_41BA_7D39474B9520.url = media/map_BAA67B36_B661_0C33_41D5_BD253423F7F8_en_0.png imlevel_8028950F_8CAA_07F6_41DF_1A49E338D017.url = media/map_BAA67B36_B661_0C33_41D5_BD253423F7F8_en_1.png imlevel_8028850F_8CAA_07F6_41C0_C11464CFE04A.url = media/map_BAA67B36_B661_0C33_41D5_BD253423F7F8_en_2.png 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A lot of coordination is required for conducting a test at the drop tower, and most of that coordination comes out of this building. From here, test personnel make sure that tests are conducted safely and precisely from the initial setup to the final drop.
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Although Sandia does testing here, the real owners of this facility are the resident pair of Red-Tailed Hawks. They are an apex predator protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, playing an important ecological role across their range. The reason they are considered the facility owners is because when they start nesting and having chicks, work must be coordinated with the hawks. Well, work is coordinated with local biologists who help make sure that any testing done isn’t disruptive to the hawks during their nesting activities in the breeding season. Some measures taken in the past include providing physical buffer zones for more invasive work.
What makes this pair atypical compared to others is while most hawks migrate, these have, for the past many years, decided to call the Drop Towers their home. Most years, they successfully raise a new batch of chicks on the drop towers. Personnel have grown accustomed to their presence around the site and enjoy watching them bring prey items to their young in the summer or just watching them soar across the sky. The Red-tailed Hawks have become almost synonymous with the Drop Tower facility, so if you plan to do testing out here, look up, they may be just watching!
For more information regarding Sandia’s Ecology Program, click the link! (Sandia MOWs only)
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Although the water impact facility is plenty deep for most tests, some require a bit more depth. Fortunately, there’s a 6-foot-diameter pipe at the bottom of the water impact facility that goes down an additional 30 feet. Most of the time the pipe is capped and bolted down, but when additional depth is needed (e.g., a pressure test), the lid can be removed. However, removing the lid is no easy task, especially under all that water. It requires a huge torque wrench in the hands of a certified diver to remove the bolts, and then a crane is needed to lift the lid off. Pictured is an example of what that pipe looks like and the original installation in 1983 when the water impact facility was being built.
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Because of issues with the east anchor interfering with test items, it was reengineered in 1962 with a new design. The updated design created a space where items could pass under and through the anchor structure, thus preventing them from being unnecessarily damaged by the anchor itself, preventing any damage from being done to the anchor or the concrete structure, and also removing the need for a big pile of sandbags.
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Even with all the capabilities at the facility, sometimes the engineers need to go for a paddle. They use this boat to not only inspect the water impact facility for damage after impact tests but also to help set up items for testing. And like any pool or lake, there’s some care that’s needed for the water, including a regular addition of chemicals to help keep the water clean and help improve visibility for the equipment underwater and test setup.
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In the early 1960s, the 185-foot tower was having a bit of a problem with the east anchor and hoisting capability interfering with test items. The interference was due to the test configuration utilizing the moving trolley for angled drop tests and impacts. The test unit would impact the target near the base of the east anchor and, many times, rebound into the concrete face of the anchor, causing further damage to the unit not associated with the desired test environment. To mitigate this, a bunch of sandbags were used to minimize the damage from the undesirable secondary impact.
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On occasion, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is used to inspect the water impact facility structure for any concerns. Kind of like what they used to explore the wreck of the Titanic, but, you know, not in the ocean…and not as big…and not actually the Titanic.
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Part of ensuring the safety of the drop tower facility is a periodic inspection of the tower and its cables. Because of the tower’s height, this inspection is done by an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The UAS captures images of the tower’s structure and cables and safety experts review the footage to make sure there aren’t any concerns. Before the use of UAS, this had to be done in person, which meant finding people who didn’t mind heights.
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Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico consists of approximately 8,700 acres, much of it typical Southwest desert landscape. The Drop Tower facility is located roughly seven miles from the main campus in an area known as Tech Area III. While there are a few facilities nearby, the relative isolation provides a safe location for the Drop Towers to conduct their testing.
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Some facility locations make a great place for those living the night life. In this instance, an owl has taken up residence in the east anchor for the tower. (If you look closely, you can just barely see him peeking out of the second hole from the right).
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The control center for this impressive facility is contained…well, in a container. This shipping container was converted into a mobile control center. It’s mobile because different kinds of tests might require the control center to be located in different areas (hence all the power stations spread around the area). Everything needed to prepare and execute tests safely is in this container, and it even has environmental controls, so even in the middle of the desert, tests are run with at least some degree of comfort.
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The vertical trolley-guided system consists of two cables stretched vertically between the top of the tower and the impact target on the ground. The trolley is attached to tubes that slide over the guide cables and can be hoisted to and released from a maximum height of 175 feet, with items that weight up to 2,500 pounds. Test items can be attached to the trolley in any desired test orientation and can maintain the orientation at impact. The vertical system tests items that require precise and repeatable impact conditions and can do so at impact velocities of 100 feet per second or less.
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This 185-foot tower, along with its neighboring 300-foot tower, provide unique capabilities for testing everything from shipping containers to simulated transportation accidents. The tower can accelerate items under gravity using its trolley system to impact velocities of 100 feet per second.
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This 300-foot tower stands next to a water impact facility that is 120 feet wide by 188 feet long and 50 feet deep. An additional 30 feet of depth can be achieved via a unique, steel pipe at the bottom of the water impact facility that is kept covered except when needed. The tower can be configured to hoist items weighing up to 3,000 pounds and then letting them drop or (at one point in history) having them pulled down into the water via rockets at angles anywhere from 30 to 90 degrees. Additional capabilities enable the facility to test underwater detonations, ice penetrators and punctures, torpedo impacts, pressure vessels, sonar, models, shipping containers, and much more.
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This interesting-looking tower is an old, retractable weather tower that was added to the facility in the early 1960s. It provided information on wind conditions, barometric pressure, and more. It can be cranked up to a height of 100 feet. As you might expect, modern technology has made this particular structure obsolete, but nothing will ever replace its unique sense of style.
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This isn’t a charging spot for your smartphone. These power sources are spread throughout the facility to provide power for various test equipment. Or, at least they were, but are rarely needed any more, so they are now remnants of the original facility.
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This person is the “sentinel” or “lookout” for the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) team. They provide verbal updates to the pilot of any possible dangers in the area where the UAS is flying The UAS team does a lot more at Sandia than just flying over towers. UAS’s are used for aerial photography, inspections, orthomosaics and photogrammetry (a fancy way of saying “building 3D models”), test and evaluation efforts, and for blue team vs red team exercises. However, not just anyone can pick up a drone and fly at Sandia. There are several requirements to meet before a flight can take place. Plus, pilots must complete classwork, simulations, and hands on training before performing any real-world flights. Think of it as Top Gun, but for smaller aircraft…controlled by remote.
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This track had been used for rocket sled testing, but it’s not currently in use. When operational, however, it can help accelerate test items to create higher-velocity impacts.
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To get items up in the air for tests, they need to be attached to a test fixture. This fixture holds and orientates the item, and then it is attached to the trolley where it will be hoisted up in the air to the predetermined testing height before being dropped or accelerated toward the ground to see what happens.
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To get test items to the required heights for various tests, the drop tower uses a unique trolley system. The system’s main incline load cable is used to lift test items (weighing up to 15,000 pounds) to the height of 165 feet. The main cable is anchored to a Pendulum system, pictured in the slide show, that is imbedded to a concrete anchor on the ground and forms an angle of approximately 30 degrees with the tower. Test items can be configured in any orientation and released from a moving trolley, creating a combination of a horizontal and vertical velocity components, up to 65 feet/second and 95 feet/second respectively. Impact targets from dirt to steel can be fabricated, per test requirements. Incredibly, this system has been in operation since the late 1950s. However, now the concrete needs some repairs so it can keep operating for another 60 years.
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When using a trolley to help accelerate a testing unit that might weigh up to 3,000 pounds, you’re going to need some help stopping that trolley without damaging it. Hence, this giant, rubber pad. This is essentially a stopper that would help soften the blow when the trolley came down and hit it. This was placed at an anchor point, and pretty much put a stop to the trolley plowing into the New Mexico desert during a test.
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Whether for maintenance or testing, sometimes getting into the water at the water impact facility is necessary. This work might include preparing and facilitating underwater tests, maintaining the water impact facility, removing the cap off the large testing pipe at the bottom of the water impact facility, or anything else that may need to be done beneath the placid surface of the test water impact facility. Certified SCUBA divers assist with these tasks. The facility used to have six certified divers ready to help with these tasks, but now they’re brought in on an as-needed basis.
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While it may look like a favorite summer treat, this is actually an underwater view of an ice penetrator punching through a block of ice and into the lake.
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While the 300-foot tower and the water impact facility generally command the most attention, two other towers were built at the same time as the water impact facility. These towers use a winch system in coordination with barges on the water to get test objects in and out of the water. Items can be safely placed in the lake for testing and then removed when testing is complete.
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Why does Sandia need a water impact facility in the middle of the desert for testing? Well, the answer goes all the back to the Space Shuttle program. You see, when the Space Shuttle’s external fuel tanks were jettisoned during launch, they were supposed to land in water and be retrieved so they could be used again. Unfortunately, what was actually happening was they were sinking. So, NASA approached Sandia to help them figure out what was going on. Once Sandia had a working theory and possible solution, they needed to test it. But instead of going all the way to the ocean to do that, they built this water impact facility in 1983 instead. Once the water impact facility was ready, nose cones from the external fuel tanks were dropped to confirm Sandia’s theory about why the tanks were sinking. The solution proved viable, and the external tanks did end up floating.
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Yup, that’s exactly what it looks like: a giant ice bucket in the middle of the desert. You may be wondering why anyone would need a homemade ice cube. Well, in this instance, these ice targets were built at Sandia for testing ice penetration and ice punctures and to measure how much force and/or damage might be done when trying to punch through solid ice with various devices (also useful for making snow cones).
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Bungee Jumping for Test Items: A relatively new (but familiar) capability is the 300ft Drop Tower’s vertical trolley-guided system. This new capability came about due to the need to go higher and faster than what the 185ft Drop Tower vertical system could offer. Testing here is similar to the 185ft Drop Tower vertical trolley-guided system, but with some key differences. There is a higher maximum drop height of 260 feet (depending on rigging), but a lower item weight capacity of 1000 lbs. Also, instead of a brake system (deceleration and energy absorber) to stop the trolley, it’s a bungee style drop. Two Nylon ropes are pre-engineered to a certain length, pre-wrapped, and then installed between the two trolleys. As the lower trolley is released, the ropes begin to unwind until reaching the designated length, stretching after the test item is released, then bouncing the trolley back up before settling down. Units here can reach velocities of up to 120ft/s. Just like it’s 185ft counterpart, items here can be configured in a guided or unguided method.
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A different type of capability offered at the drop tower utilizes a programmable variable speed winch. This winch helps provide controlled speeds at which tests are conducted. It can vary speeds to go either faster or slower, and it can provide what’s known as combined environments; that is, testing with both acceleration and vibration (with the addition of a shaker). It can also provide acceleration environments for smaller items.
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858 Lobby


Originally built in the late 1980s to house the Manufacturing Development Laboratory and its offices, Building 858 expanded significantly when 858EF (the MicroFab) and 858EL (MicroLab) were added as part of the MESA construction. The building houses wafer manufacturing, compound semiconductor fabrication, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) production, and electronic circuit manufacturing.
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858 Photolith Lab


Sandia maintains a clean room outside of the MicroFab area for its photolithography processes. This allows the MESA workers to develop and maintain customized processes without disruption to the manufacturing effort.


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858 SiliconFab


Building 898 is a three-story, partially pre-fabricated, facility housing offices and light laboratories. Designed as an integrated facility promoting interaction among groups via workspace blocks, the building sports a postmodern, high-tech industrial design. Its polished stone and steel and glass exterior includes curvilinear walled ribbons of windows leading to the northeast entrance, and extended wings with sun-protecting louvered windows. The soaring lobby and high ceilings create an open and empowering environment for the design work housed here.
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898 Corridor


State-of-the-art videoconferencing and stunning projection capabilities make the VIEWS Corridor a prime viewing and sharing spot for scientific computing displays. Output from the visualization tools used in Sandia's high performance computing arena can be projected in 3D. The area is a magnet for VIP visits and tours.


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898 Lobby


Building 898 is a three-story, partially pre-fabricated, facility housing offices and light laboratories. Designed as an integrated facility promoting interaction among groups via workspace blocks, the building sports a postmodern, high-tech industrial design. The soaring lobby and high ceilings create an open and empowering environment for the design work housed here.
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Gowning Room


Clean rooms environments are kept clean both by limiting the volume of particles introduced to the space and by constantly moving the air to remove particles. Workers wear protective garments to reduce the number of contaminants they introduce to the room. This changing station allows staff to put on appropriate layers prior to entering a clean room; additional changing rooms allow for full changes of clothing.
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MicroFab


The MESA Microsystems Fabrication facility is one of the most complex buildings at Sandia. It is the first in the world to combine silicon processing with fabrication of compound semiconductors under one roof. This is the heart of microsystem manufacturing, done primarily in cleanrooms.


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Microsystems and Engineering Sciences Applications (MESA)


Welcome to MESA, home of Sandia’s advanced nuclear weapons research, design and development functions, as well as integrated materials research, and the production facilities for microsystem technologies.


Focused primarily on the nuclear weapons mission, the facilities that make up MESA ultimately connect with all of Sandia's mission areas via microsystems research and applications.


After eight years of construction, MESA was completed in 2007 at a cost of $518 million. It was Sandia's largest construction project since the Labs' first permanent buildings were built in the 1940s.


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