What Sandia National Laboratories does
Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) national laboratory focused on delivering science and engineering support for national security missions. Sandia’s core purpose is “to render exceptional service in the national interest,” and its unique responsibilities in the nuclear weapons enterprise provide a foundation for solving complex national security problems, including nuclear deterrence, nonproliferation, cybersecurity, and other high-consequence defense and technology challenges. Sandia is a “multimission laboratory” that is federally funded and operated under contract for NNSA, with the operating entity being National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC (NTESS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International. Sandia’s current technical positioning emphasizes end-to-end engineering and simulation capabilities (including high-performance computing), trusted mission-grade engineering, and laboratory-unique facilities for extreme environments and testing. Recent public Sandia news reflects continued investment in both nuclear-stockpile-related work (e.g., W88 sustainment transitions) and emerging technology themes such as AI and quantum sensing, alongside facility modernization efforts for core experimental infrastructure.