"We can now study the response of many materials under the same extreme pressures," said Sandia scientist Aidan Thompson, who originated SNAP. "Applications include planetary science questions--for example, what kind of impact stress would have led to the formation of our moon. It also opens the door to design and manufacture of novel materials at extreme conditions." The effect of extreme pressures and temperatures on materials also is important for devising interior models of giant planets. Powerful DOE facilities like Sandia's Z machine and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility can recreate near-identical conditions of these worlds in earthly experiments that offer close-up examinations of radically compressed materials.