About MARS/MERC, the Missile • Energy Research Center

The Miller Advanced Research Solutions (MARS) building housing the MERC program is isolated from the main WSU campus, situated just outside the security fence at the West entrance of Hill AFB.

Weber State University (WSU), Utah Advanced Materials Manufacturing Initiative (UAMMI) along with key federal (INL, AFRL, AFNWC), industry (Northrop, Boeing, Lockheed, Raytheon), State and community partners, recently created the MERC to address the production deficiency in high-temperature materials deployment advancing the emergent need to match known and fielded peer hypersonic capabilities in weapons delivery systems. Key objectives include:

• Assist partner integrators with equipment and expertise solving emergent problems with large-scale manufacturability of high-temperature materials.
  • Advance the Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) from Level 4 (~prototyping) to Level 6 (~pilot scale). Building a focused equipment set concentrating on unique, world-class, differentiating automation, scalable to mass manufacturing.
  • Functional prototype fabrication using MBSE; pilot scale demonstrators
  • Develop screening testing leading to qualification of high-temperature and ablation resistant materials.
  • Data curation with a materials properties database
• Workforce Development—Integrate students into all the above activities (ITAR project workers and interns, assisting in developing clearances) as project security allows,  
  • for product, process, quality & systems engineering and manufacturing,
  • creating future operators, technicians, engineers, and scientists.

The MERC leverages the State of Utah’s (CapEx + OpEx) donation of a 20,000 ft2 high bay Miller Advanced Research Solutions (MARS) facility with full CNC machine shop (EDA), HAFB placement here of advanced AM tools, Weber State University’s administration, and a $3.5M cash donation from the Miller Family Foundation.