By KRWG News
Albuquerque – A new U.S. Air Force laboratory will add nearly 200 jobs to the Albuquerque area.
Kirtland Air Force Base officials and dignitaries cut a ribbon Thursday for the new $59.5 million Battlespace Environment Laboratory, where scientists and technicians will predict the weather in space and ensure the reliability of satellites.
Kirtland officials say the lab's annual budget will be close to $89 million.
The Albuquerque Journals says it's the centerpiece of the Battlespace Environment Division, which is transferring to Kirtland from Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts.
That was among the recommendations of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission.
The division includes the Space Weather Center of Excellence and the Battlespace Surveillance Innovation Center, which already are located at Kirtland in Albuquerque.
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Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.