Latest news with #SandiaLabs
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
John A Andersen John's favorite quote, by Ralph Waldo
May 10—John A Andersen John's favorite quote, by Ralph Waldo Emerson: "The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have made some difference that you lived and lived well." John was born in Hackensack, New Jersey to Harold Leo Andersen and Johanna Alida Huybers Andersen. Raised in Miami, Florida, he started college at Davidson in North Carolina as a physics major and then transferred to mechanical engineering at the University of Florida (Go Gators!). Upon graduating, he moved to Albuquerque in 1955 and became part of Sandia National Laboratories. He attended grad school in four departments at the University of New Mexico (mechanical and nuclear engineering, law, and business). He also served as an adjunct engineering professor at UNM. John was a registered professional engineer, a licensed private pilot, and a national accreditation official for college Departments of Mechanical Engineering throughout the United States. He served on active duty in the nuclear army (US Army Combat Engineer, Atomic Demolitions). He was at Sandia Labs for a total of 52 years and was in Sandia's first group of Distinguished Members of the Technical Staff. His projects included safeguards projects at the IAEA in Vienna, special projects in Europe and the Pacific for the USAF, and then security projects for the top command structure in Europe. He became a department manager, invented a plutonium transportation safe containment system, and spent many years working on advanced military systems. In Washington DC, he served for two years on the US Nuclear Command and Control Systems Support Staff (NSS), and was awarded the Secretary of Defense Outstanding Public Service Medal. After his official retirement, he served an additional ten years as a contractor for Sandia Labs, specializing in nuclear safety and history. He was a Life Fellow in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and was active for over 50 years. He held continuous local, state, regional, and national positions. These included being a Mechanical Engineering curriculum evaluator for engineering schools, New Mexico State Chairman, National VP of Government Relations, and Governor at the national and international level. He was awarded the ASME Dedicated Service Award, and the 75th and 100th Anniversary medals. Always busy, he enjoyed home construction and gardening, travel, flying, sailing, and model railroading. He especially treasured international travel that was related to his family roots in Denmark and The Netherlands. When his children were young, he supported their youth activities (Boy Scouts, YMCA, church Sunday School). After retirement, he was a docent at the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, and a member of the New Mexico Steam Locomotive Restoration and Railroad Historical Society. From the moment he first set foot in Albuquerque to interview with Sandia Labs, he was completely captivated by the "Land of Enchantment". He loved New Mexico; savored its culture and cuisine, hiked its backcountry and traveled to every one, of its enchanting locales. John is survived by his loving wife, Elaine; his three beloved children, Gordon, MaryJo (Tracy), Hal (Marcia); granddaughter, Mari (Martin); great grandson, Theo; stepsons, Fred, Paul, Tom, and their families. The family would like to thank Legacy Home Health and Hospice, Independent Home Health Care, and French Funerals for their kindness and excellent care. Service to be held Monday, May 19th, 2025 at 10:00 am. Followed by a light lunch after the service located at First United Methodist Church, 315 Coal Ave SW Albuquerque, NM 87102. A burial at 2:00 pm at Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery, 924 Menaul Blvd NE Albuquerque, NM 87107.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Sandia Labs, Kirtland AFB update public on environmental restoration work
May 3—Thirty years ago, Sandia National Laboratories had 300-some sites in New Mexico with contaminated groundwater. Three contaminated groundwater sites remain today. The U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense held a state-required semiannual meeting Tuesday in Albuquerque to update the public on environmental restoration work Sandia Labs and Kirtland Air Force Base are doing. Much of the contamination being cleaned up by the entities dates back to a time before federal environmental regulations — when the labs and Air Force base were in operation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had not yet been established. "All the DOE labs, they started after World War II, and it's because of those activities starting from the '40s, '50s, '60s, '70s," said Jun Li, a Sandia Labs environmental professional. "(The) '80s was the time that we had the federal (regulatory) laws." Now, the federal agencies work with New Mexico to clean up whatever contamination still remains from decades ago. "I really do think DOE labs are really ahead of the curve, trying to clean up," Li said, adding that weapons labs around the nation are tasked with cleaning up contamination from past activities. The three groundwater sites Sandia is actively cleaning up or monitoring today cover parts of the Manzanita Mountains east of Albuquerque, as well as the north-central and west-central parts of Kirtland Air Force Base and Sandia Labs, according to presentations on display. All the sites have nitrate contamination, a naturally occurring and man-caused substance that, in high levels, poses risks to human health. The carcinogenic compound trichloroethylene, or TCE, was also present in some cases. Sandia will continue monitoring all three sites, likely for decades, according to the labs. Officials say none of the contamination sites present risks to human health because the groundwater isn't used for drinking purposes. On the other side of the room, Kirtland Air Force Base had presentations on display for its five major active cleanup sites, which included groundwater and soil contamination, specifically for nitrate and TCE, and landfills. One site in particular, located on the Air Force Base, is in the early phases of an investigation. U.S. Air Force engineer Begnaud Moayyad said the questions that need to be answered include figuring out what the contamination is, its source, how widespread it is, how toxic it is relative to drinking water standards and if it presents risks to human health. Another flagged site, this one focused on soil contamination, exists on the northwestern part of Kirtland Air Force Base, near the Sunport. Contamination on the site, formerly used for aircraft movement and parking, potentially stemmed from the release of fuel, lubricants and degreasers, according to Kirtland. The base identified the contamination in the '90s, not finding any excessive levels, but still treated the contamination, according to the Kirtland presentations. Cleanup operations took place from 1999 through 2019. The base stopped because it no longer detected contamination, said Darren Knight, a program manager at the U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center. The New Mexico Environment Department in 2020 requested the base continue monitoring groundwater and vapor concentrations. Knight said Kirtland has already drilled two new groundwater wells and expects state approval to drill additional vapor monitoring wells. "The reason why it takes so much time is because you have to follow a lot of regulations," Knight said.
Globe and Mail
02-04-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
General Fusion announces former Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith as new strategic advisor
RICHMOND, British Columbia, April 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bob Smith is joining General Fusion as a strategic advisor. Smith brings more than 35 years of experience developing, scaling, and launching world-changing technologies, including spearheading new products and innovation in the aerospace industry at United Space Alliance, Sandia Labs, and Honeywell before serving as CEO of Blue Origin. He joins General Fusion as the company's Lawson Machine 26 (LM26) fusion demonstration begins operations and progresses toward transformative technical milestones on the path to commercialization. 'I've been watching the fusion energy industry closely for my entire career. Fusion is the last energy source humanity will ever need, and I believe its impact as a zero-carbon energy source will transform the global energy supply at the time needed to fight the worst consequences of climate change,' said Smith. 'I am thrilled to work with General Fusion. Their novel approach has inherent and distinctive benefits for the generation of commercially competitive fusion power. It's exciting to join at a time when the team is about to demonstrate the fundamental physics behind their system and move to scaling up to a pilot plant.' The LM26 program marks a significant step towards commercialization, as the company's unique Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) approach makes the path to powering the grid with fusion energy more straightforward than other technologies—because it practically addresses barriers to fusion commercialization, such as neutron material degradation, sustainable fuel production, and efficient energy extraction. As a strategic advisor, Smith will leverage his experience advancing game-changing technologies to help guide General Fusion's technology development and strategic growth. 'Bob's insights and experience will be invaluable as we execute the LM26 program and look beyond it to propel our practical technology to powering the grid by the mid-2030s,' said Greg Twinney, CEO, General Fusion. 'We are grateful for his commitment of his in-demand time and expertise to our mission and look forward to working together to make fusion power a reality!' About Bob Smith: Bob is an experienced business leader in the aerospace and defense industry with extensive technical and operational expertise across the sector. He worked at and managed federal labs, led developments at a large government contractor, grew businesses at a Fortune 100 multinational, and scaled up a launch and space systems startup. Bob also has extensive international experience and has worked with suppliers and OEMs in all the major aerospace regions, including establishing new sites and factories in Europe, India, China, and Puerto Rico. Bob's prior leadership roles include Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Origin, President of Mechanical Systems & Components at Honeywell Aerospace, Chief Technology Officer at Honeywell Aerospace, Chairman of NTESS (Sandia Labs), and Executive Director of Space Shuttle Upgrades at United Space Alliance. Bob holds a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering from Texas A&M, a Master of Science degree in engineering/applied mathematics from Brown University, a doctorate from the University of Texas in aerospace engineering, and a business degree from MIT's Sloan School of Management. Bob is also a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and an Academician in the International Academy of Astronautics. Quick Facts: Fusion energy is the ultimate clean energy solution—it is the energy source that powers the sun and stars. Fusion is the process by which two light nuclei merge to form a heavier one, producing a massive amount of energy. General Fusion's Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) technology is designed to scale for cost-efficient power plants. It uses mechanical compression to create fusion conditions in short pulses, eliminating the need for expensive lasers or superconducting magnets. An MTF power plant is designed to produce its own fuel and inherently includes a method to extract the energy and put it to work. Lawson Machine 26 (LM26) is a world-first Magnetized Target Fusion demonstration. Launched, designed, and assembled in just 16 months, the machine is now forming magnetized plasmas regularly at 50 per cent commercial scale. It is advancing towards a series of results that will demonstrate MTF in a commercially relevant way: 10 million degrees Celsius (1 keV), 100 million degrees Celsius (10 keV), and scientific breakeven equivalent (100% Lawson). About General Fusion General Fusion is pursuing a fast and practical approach to commercial fusion energy and is headquartered in Richmond, Canada. The company was established in 2002 and is funded by a global syndicate of leading energy venture capital firms, industry leaders, and technology pioneers. Learn more at
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
General Fusion announces former Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith as new strategic advisor
RICHMOND, British Columbia, April 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bob Smith is joining General Fusion as a strategic advisor. Smith brings more than 35 years of experience developing, scaling, and launching world-changing technologies, including spearheading new products and innovation in the aerospace industry at United Space Alliance, Sandia Labs, and Honeywell before serving as CEO of Blue Origin. He joins General Fusion as the company's Lawson Machine 26 (LM26) fusion demonstration begins operations and progresses toward transformative technical milestones on the path to commercialization. 'I've been watching the fusion energy industry closely for my entire career. Fusion is the last energy source humanity will ever need, and I believe its impact as a zero-carbon energy source will transform the global energy supply at the time needed to fight the worst consequences of climate change,' said Smith. 'I am thrilled to work with General Fusion. Their novel approach has inherent and distinctive benefits for the generation of commercially competitive fusion power. It's exciting to join at a time when the team is about to demonstrate the fundamental physics behind their system and move to scaling up to a pilot plant.' The LM26 program marks a significant step towards commercialization, as the company's unique Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) approach makes the path to powering the grid with fusion energy more straightforward than other technologies—because it practically addresses barriers to fusion commercialization, such as neutron material degradation, sustainable fuel production, and efficient energy extraction. As a strategic advisor, Smith will leverage his experience advancing game-changing technologies to help guide General Fusion's technology development and strategic growth. 'Bob's insights and experience will be invaluable as we execute the LM26 program and look beyond it to propel our practical technology to powering the grid by the mid-2030s,' said Greg Twinney, CEO, General Fusion. 'We are grateful for his commitment of his in-demand time and expertise to our mission and look forward to working together to make fusion power a reality!' About Bob Smith: Bob is an experienced business leader in the aerospace and defense industry with extensive technical and operational expertise across the sector. He worked at and managed federal labs, led developments at a large government contractor, grew businesses at a Fortune 100 multinational, and scaled up a launch and space systems startup. Bob also has extensive international experience and has worked with suppliers and OEMs in all the major aerospace regions, including establishing new sites and factories in Europe, India, China, and Puerto Rico. Bob's prior leadership roles include Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Origin, President of Mechanical Systems & Components at Honeywell Aerospace, Chief Technology Officer at Honeywell Aerospace, Chairman of NTESS (Sandia Labs), and Executive Director of Space Shuttle Upgrades at United Space Alliance. Bob holds a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering from Texas A&M, a Master of Science degree in engineering/applied mathematics from Brown University, a doctorate from the University of Texas in aerospace engineering, and a business degree from MIT's Sloan School of Management. Bob is also a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and an Academician in the International Academy of Astronautics. Quick Facts: Fusion energy is the ultimate clean energy solution—it is the energy source that powers the sun and stars. Fusion is the process by which two light nuclei merge to form a heavier one, producing a massive amount of energy. General Fusion's Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) technology is designed to scale for cost-efficient power plants. It uses mechanical compression to create fusion conditions in short pulses, eliminating the need for expensive lasers or superconducting magnets. An MTF power plant is designed to produce its own fuel and inherently includes a method to extract the energy and put it to work. Lawson Machine 26 (LM26) is a world-first Magnetized Target Fusion demonstration. Launched, designed, and assembled in just 16 months, the machine is now forming magnetized plasmas regularly at 50 per cent commercial scale. It is advancing towards a series of results that will demonstrate MTF in a commercially relevant way: 10 million degrees Celsius (1 keV), 100 million degrees Celsius (10 keV), and scientific breakeven equivalent (100% Lawson). About General Fusion General Fusion is pursuing a fast and practical approach to commercial fusion energy and is headquartered in Richmond, Canada. The company was established in 2002 and is funded by a global syndicate of leading energy venture capital firms, industry leaders, and technology pioneers. Learn more at General Fusion Media Relations media@ +1-866-904-0995 Follow General Fusion A photo accompanying this announcement is available at in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Yahoo
KRQE Newsfeed: Cyclist killed, Vehicle damage, Calmer and colder, Agriculture report, Airport expansion
Albuquerque police release video showing teens hitting, killing bicyclist Photos: Hazardous winds leave a trail of destruction in New Mexico Lawmakers push final bills as legislative session nears end APD investigate fatal shooting near Central and Pennsylvania Albuquerque man accused of 2024 murder appears in court These movies were filmed in Santa Fe. Have you seen them? [1] Albuquerque police release video showing teens hitting, killing bicyclist – In May of last year police say 13-year-old Jonathan Overbay, 15-year-old William Garcia and 11-year-old Messiah Hayes intentionally hit and killed Scott Habermehl, who was riding his bike into work at Sandia Labs. Overbay was arrested earlier this week, while Hayes was arrested and turned over to CYFD on Tuesday night. Police are still searching for Garcia. [2] Police look for vandals who took 23 fire extinguishers from parking garage – Albuquerque police are asking for help finding suspects accused of damaging parked cars in Civic Plaza. On March 9, security cameras outside the Civic Plaza underground parking garage captured five people walking into the garage. The group broke the glass boxes holding 17 fire extinguishers, removed them, and discharged the extinguishers on the vehicles around them. The group then returned a week later, with two more people, removing six more fire extinguishers and damaging more cars. Albuquerque CrimeStoppers said the cost of damages is around $67,000. [3] Cold and breezy weather on last day of winter – Colder air on the backside of yesterday's potent storm system is still accompanied with some windy weather. Less-windy conditions later this week into the weekend will continue with relatively mild air eventually returning as little precipitation will fall in the northern communities. [4] How is New Mexico's agriculture industry? 2025 report shows growth – A new report states that New Mexico's agriculture industry is on the upswing. According to the latest 'Feeding the Economy' report, New Mexico's food and agriculture industries saw a 4.4% increase from 2024 to 2025 in terms of economic impact. As far as wages go, those industries have generated $12.9 billion in wages this year, which is a 9.3% increase from last year. [5] Santa Fe Regional Airport completes first phase of expansion plans – A little over three years after breaking ground, the Santa Fe Regional Airport completed the first phase of a major expansion project. The initial phase includes a bigger terminal, more paved parking, an outdoor patio, dog relief area, and more. They have also partnered with a new charter service, JSX, with flights to Dallas for the summer. The airport manager says they are excited to start on the second phase, taking out two buildings to expand the terminal. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
