The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has accepted Nightwatch, the first digital product developed and produced by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The acceptance of the digital product - or software or firmware set to be integrated into the nuclear stockpile - was celebrated with a recent ceremonial "stamping" event, marking its compliance with all technical and quality requirements.
Nightwatch, a self-contained temperature logger, is designed to sit inside the shell of a nuclear weapon and record temperature fluctuations over its multi-decade service life. This data will provide crucial insights into how weapon materials are aging under various conditions, helping LLNL and the NNSA ensure the safety and reliability of the stockpile.
The project emerged in response to the need for more precise temperature monitoring inside nuclear warheads. Nuclear weapons must endure a wide range of extreme environments over their service life - sub-zero temperatures in arctic climates and over 100 degrees in desert conditions. These fluctuations can affect the materials and components within the warhead, posing risks to its longevity and reliability.
Becoming a production agency was not part of LLNL's traditional role, which has focused on design and engineering.
The Laboratory's move to produce digital product was set in motion in 2019 when it became clear that a new capability was needed to support the NNSA's evolving requirements for the nuclear stockpile. After extensive collaboration and readiness assessments in 2022 and 2023, LLNL received the authority to produce digital products, using Nightwatch as the first example of this new capability.
LLNL is now an approved production agency for digital product. Traditional hardware and electrical components will still be manufactured and produced by NNSA partners. The Livermore Lab is the first new NNSA production agency since 1996.
"We are launching a new capability that the Lab has never had before," said Vicki Pope, weapons software quality assurance manager. "It is significant that LLNL is now a digital product production agency for the NNSA and Nightwatch's acceptance is an important milestone in this production journey. It's the first of its kind and a big win for the nuclear security enterprise and for our stockpile stewardship mission."
With this acceptance, LLNL has become the second laboratory in the United States, alongside Sandia National Laboratories, to develop and produce digital products for the nation's nuclear deterrent.
The project required extensive collaboration with other NNSA laboratories to establish processes, develop governing documents, and ensure rigorous quality standards were met, said Brian Romasky, the NNSA Livermore Field Office weapon quality assurance manager who verified, accepted and stamped the Nightwatch digital product.
"This accomplishment showcases the Laboratory's ability to take on new and complex challenges," Romasky said. "Nightwatch is a new frontier for LLNL and speaks to the dedication and technical expertise of the Lab's teams of engineers, physicists, and software quality experts."
Nightwatch's official stamp of approval from the NNSA represents the culmination of years of effort and a major step forward for LLNL's new production role. LLNL is now working on additional digital product projects, including joint test assemblies for other weapon systems, expected to reach the stamping process in 2025 and 2026.
