Auburn, partners celebrate opening of 50,000 square foot laboratory in Huntsville

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Auburn University’s Applied Research Institute (AUARI) opened a new 50,000-square-foot laboratory in Huntsville's Cummings Research Park, significantly expanding the university's ability to support U.S. government and industry partners tackling complex national security and space exploration challenges.

The facility houses the nation's only university-led space electronics testing capability of its kind, along with advanced manufacturing, rapid prototyping and space development and operations capabilities. Designed for future growth, the laboratory positions Auburn to meet increasing demand for applied research and technology development in aerospace and defense.

“This is a momentous day for Auburn and for the security of our nation,” said Dr. Steve Taylor, Auburn University’s senior vice president for research and economic development. “Auburn’s work in Huntsville, particularly the radiation effects testing, will meet an urgent need for our Department of War partners.“

“We take our mission to serve the people of Alabama very seriously and are proud to answer the call to strengthen national security and be a valuable partner for the Huntsville aerospace and defense ecosystem.”

Hundreds attended Tuesday's grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony. Alongside Auburn University leaders, speakers included Assistant Secretary of War for Science and Technology Joseph S. Jewell, Ph.D., Maj. Gen. Jason Cothern, Deputy Director of the Missile Defense Agency., U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers, Robert Aderholt and Dale Strong, and Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle.

“The Auburn University Applied Research Institute is a dedicated mission partner for the Department of War,” said the Honorable Joseph S. Jewell, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary of War for Science and Technology, said at the event. “We understand that modern warfighters operate in an environment defined by unprecedented technological complexity. To protect our warfighters, we must ensure they always have the tactical advantage that should not rely on outdated technologies. This new facility will ensure that brilliant ideas become programs of record and get into the hands of our warfighters.”

In addition to AUARI’s Voyager Way facility located less than a mile away, the new laboratory is minutes from Redstone Arsenal. Supported by the City of Huntsville’s Industrial Development Board, Auburn and its partners have invested more than $30 million in the facility and completed construction in just 11 months.

"Auburn recognized an urgent need and moved quickly to meet it," said Jonathan Pettus, executive director of AUARI. "That same sense of urgency drives our work every day. Our government partners need innovative capabilities delivered faster than ever before, and this facility helps ensure Auburn can continue developing solutions at the speed the mission demands."

Auburn students, faculty and full-time research engineers and scientists conduct research and build prototypes in the facility with partners that include the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), NASA, Space Development Agency, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, U.S. Space Command, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Special Operations Command and aerospace and defense industry.

Meeting the Critical Need for Radiation Effects Testing

The laboratory is home to the nation's only university-led facility dedicated to high-energy proton radiation effects testing of space electronics, a capability essential for ensuring military and space systems can withstand harsh radiation environments.

“To provide for a highly reliable defense of our nation and our armed forces, we need to test every microelectronic component for its performance in space,” said Maj. Gen. Cothern. “Going forward, we will have priority access to Auburn’s proton cyclotron facility to ensure timely radiation testing of the microelectronics our cutting-edge systems depend on.”

Reports from NASA, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and the Office of the Secretary of War have identified a national shortfall in radiation effects testing capabilities. 

Backed by an $11.4 million MDA contract awarded in November 2024 and an additional $7.5 million added in July 2026, Auburn will help bridge this documented national readiness gap.

At the center of the facility is a superconducting cyclotron capable of accelerating protons to 200 MeV, enabling researchers to replicate radiation environments encountered in near-Earth orbit and during solar particle events.

The testing allows engineers to evaluate how advanced microelectronics perform before they are used in mission-critical systems. Satellites, spacecraft, missile defense systems and launch vehicles all rely on electronics that must continue operating in environments where even a single radiation-induced failure can jeopardize an entire mission.

The facility's primary mission is to support the Missile Defense Agency, with additional capacity available to other federal agencies, military services and commercial partners.

Testing operations are scheduled to begin in early 2027.

Auburn’s Research Strategy Prepares the Next-Generation of Talent

"The work happening at AUARI reflects Auburn's broader research growth strategy," Taylor said. "Across the university, faculty and research professionals are pursuing ambitious opportunities that expand our research enterprise in ways that improve our quality of life, drive our economy and strengthen national security"

Beyond solving difficult technical challenges, Auburn’s research programs emphasize engaging students in these efforts.  Through internships, classroom projects and research opportunities, students play an active role in AUARI's work. By contributing to projects alongside faculty and research professionals, students gain hands-on experiences that prepare them to make an immediate impact in the workforce.

"The momentum in Huntsville is undeniable," Pettus said. "What makes this region successful is the strength of its partnerships. When academia, government and industry work together, we can move faster, solve harder problems and deliver greater impact, all while helping to build the next generation of the science and engineering workforce that our nation needs. That's exactly what AUARI was built to do."

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ABOUT AUBURN UNIVERSITY 

Auburn University is a nationally ranked land-, sea- and space-grant institution recognized for its premier student-centered educational experience, world-class scholarship and interdisciplinary research with an elite top-tier Carnegie R1 classification. Auburn is home to more than 35,000 students, and its faculty and partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful innovation, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success, extension service and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact. Learn more at auburn.edu.

ABOUT THE APPLIED RESEARCH INSTITUTE 

The Auburn University Applied Research Institute (AUARI) exists to solve real-world challenges in aerospace, defense and biotechnology for the U.S. government and industry. At AUARI, our students work alongside research professionals to rapidly design, build, test, deploy and scale advanced technologies to expand what's possible. In keeping with Auburn's land-grant mission, AUARI is developing capabilities that bring our warfighters home and make our nation safer. Learn more at  research.auburn.edu/auari/