Auburn Installs Superconducting Proton Accelerator for Nation’s Only University-Led Space Electronics Testing Facility of Its Kind

Installation of the facility's synchrocyclotron moves Auburn one step closer to expanding the nation's radiation testing capacity for space electronics.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., August 27, 2026--Today, Auburn University's Applied Research Institute (AUARI) announced the installation of its new superconducting 200 MeV proton accelerator, an important step in opening the nation's first university-led proton testing facility dedicated to qualifying space electronics.

The RAD-FX-200 superconducting synchrocyclotron, manufactured and installed by Mevion Medical Systems, is the centerpiece of AUARI's new Radiation Hardening Facility, created to address the shortage of space-qualifying testing facilities needed by the Department of War and the aerospace and defense industry. The facility will enable government and industry partners to evaluate whether microelectronics can withstand the harsh radiation environment of space before they are deployed on critical missions.

"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. Jason Cothern, Deputy Director of the Missile Defense Agency. "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."

Satellites, missile defense interceptors, spacecraft, and launch vehicles all depend on microelectronics that must keep operating in that environment, and a single radiation-induced fault can disable a system that cannot be repaired once in orbit. The Mevion RAD-FX-200 accelerates protons to 200 MeV, which effectively simulates the proton radiation environment of near-Earth orbit and of solar particle events so that engineers can measure how advanced microelectronics respond before flight.

"The new Radiation Hardening Facility meets two crucial needs in national security: closing the gap on lack of space-qualifying testing facilities and training the next generation of engineers and scientists to be ready to work in the industry on day one," said Steve Taylor, senior vice president of research and economic development at Auburn University. "Auburn takes its mission to serve the people of Alabama very seriously and is proud to answer the call to strengthen national security and be a valuable partner for our Huntsville defense ecosystem."

"This installation represents a new frontier for proton technology," said Curt Kienast, Chief Operating Officer of Mevion Medical Systems. "Since 2013, our superconducting synchrocyclotrons, designed and built in Littleton, Massachusetts, have treated cancer patients by precisely targeting tumors while sparing healthy tissue. Applying that same proven, compact technology to qualify space electronics is a powerful example of how American medical innovation can serve an entirely new mission. We are proud to help Auburn pioneer this application."