White Sands Missile Range has the unique capability to simulate extremely high-temperature environments such as the heat generated from a nuclear explosion or solar exposure in space.  Capabilities include:

• White Sands Solar Furnace (WSSF).  Simulates a nuclear thermal radiation environment by producing high-fidelity intense thermal radiation resulting from a nuclear blast (1kT to 3MT).  It can also produce a high, steady-state, thermal environment of long duration.  At full power, the energy generated by the WSSF can penetrate a half-inch stainless steel plate in 40 sec.
• Large Blast Thermal Simulator (LBTS).  The LBTS produces a combined blast and thermal environment to simulate a nuclear or conventional detonation environment.