The US Air Force has conducted a groundbreaking ceremony in New Mexico to begin the development of a Re-Entry Vehicle Integration Laboratory (REVIL) for tests and research applications on future space capabilities.
Located at Kirtland AFB, the site will be inducted as the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) primary evaluation center for next-generation re-entry vehicles to deliver assets between terrestrial bases and orbital missions.
Tasks in the facility will incorporate the assembly and disassembly of testbed vehicles and related components in addition to experiments.
“Our nation has historically relied on our ability to maintain credible deterrence, and REVIL is a key part of that as we move forward,” AFRL Space Vehicles Director Col. Jeremy Raley remarked during the ceremony.
“We have the nation’s brightest innovators and visionaries working at AFRL. This facility will give them the infrastructure they deserve and will allow them to collaborate with scientists and engineers that intimately understand the space vehicles mission, communicate that mission to industry and move it forward.”
The $8.7-million infrastructure project will cover 5,265 square feet (489 square meters) of area in Albuquerque, with works expected to be completed in 14 months.
The effort’s project management team will be the US Army Corps of Engineers. The laboratory’s design is led by Missouri-based architectural company Burns & McDonnell, while the construction is by New Mexico-based Perikin Enterprises LLC.
Supporting Nuclear Efforts
The Kirtland laboratory is the first of four planned hubs that will support the nation’s broader strategy to bolster nuclear deterrence capabilities.
Expansions to support this objective will include collaborations with other US defense agencies, the Department of Energy, and industry partners.
“This groundbreaking ceremony is a culmination of years of effort and our vision and nuclear posture is moving from a model of sustain to modernize,” AFRL Nuclear Mission Portfolio Lead Stephanie Eddy stated.
“We have the goal to double the nation’s capability in this science and technology work within the next five to seven years.”
Partnership With Space Force
The air force highlighted that operations in the forthcoming center will be coordinated with the US Space Force.
“This lab supports both the Air and Space Force missions,” Raley said. “While we must work on new scientific developments for re-entry vehicles, there are many other opportunities to create economic and warfighting advantages.”
“New discoveries will arise from working with other government entities and industry partners, and that’s what’s really exciting about this lab … the expansive opportunity.”
