Fuse Energy Technologies is pouring tens of millions of dollars into a new radiation testing facility in Albuquerque. The facility will address a critical chokepoint in the rollout of defense, space, and semiconductor technologies: limited testing capacity.
The planned site will offer “radiation-as-a-service” for public and private users, providing developers with the tool to validate how electronics perform in high-radiation environments without waiting months for access to existing facilities.
Fuse facility to address bottleneck
Industry players have long identified radiation testing as a bottleneck, with just a small number of facilities to handle the growing demand from satellite makers, chip developers, and defense contractors. These constraints can potentially delay deployment timelines for mission-critical systems.
The California-based company said its Albuquerque facility will ease that pressure by expanding access and shortening the queues for testing. Operations may begin by summer 2026.
The facility, located near Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory, will support testing for satellites, defense platforms, and advanced semiconductors. Fuse has also signed cooperative research agreements with both Albuquerque laboratories, virtually making its services an established national security research corridor.
“The demand for radiation effects testing is growing rapidly as governments and companies deploy increasingly sophisticated defense platforms, satellites, and semiconductor technologies,” said CEO JC Btaiche. “Expanding access to testing is key to getting these systems into the field faster.”
With this new capacity, the company aims to help developers move from design to deployment more quickly — a critical advantage as governments race to launch next-generation defense systems and resilient space architecture.
Buildup
The Albuquerque project will also create dozens of engineering and technical jobs, cementing New Mexico’s role in advanced energy and defense R&D. Fuse’s project is a welcome addition to a broader buildup of manufacturing and research capacity in the state this year.
In March, AeroVironment announced plans to invest over $30 million to expand its manufacturing operations in Albuquerque, scaling up production of counter-drone and laser systems.
And in January, Castelion announced the launch of Project Ranger, a 1,000-acre hypersonic manufacturing campus in Sandoval County. The project aims to support high-cadence production of hypersonic strike systems.