Baylor University Opens Arctic Research Facility to Aid Military

New $1 million ARKTOS center will simulate extreme cold conditions for training and testing

Apr. 13, 2026 at 10:58pm

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A highly structured abstract painting in muted tones of blue, white, and gray, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise botanical spirals, conceptually representing the complex scientific forces and environmental factors involved in military operations in the Arctic.Baylor University's new arctic research facility will help the U.S. military better understand the physical and cognitive challenges of operating in extreme cold conditions.Waco Today

Baylor University has opened a new $1 million ARKTOS Research Center that features an arctic simulation chamber to help the U.S. military better prepare service members for operations in extreme cold weather conditions. The facility will allow researchers to monitor participants' sleep patterns, cognitive behaviors, and equipment performance over extended periods in temperatures as low as -31°F.

Why it matters

As the U.S. and its adversaries focus more on the strategic importance of the Arctic region, this new research center at Baylor will provide crucial data to ensure American troops are physically and mentally equipped to operate effectively in harsh polar environments.

The details

The ARKTOS arctic simulation chamber will allow researchers to study service members over several days as they perform tasks like small arms training and medical emergency simulations. Participants' sleep patterns, brain activity, and other metrics will be closely monitored to determine which individuals are best suited for arctic deployments and how circadian disruption and sleep deprivation impact performance in extreme cold.

  • The ARKTOS Research Center opened after two years and $1 million in development.
  • Researchers will conduct studies in the arctic simulation chamber over extended periods.

The players

Baylor University

A private research university in Waco, Texas that has opened the new ARKTOS Research Center to aid the U.S. military in preparing for operations in the Arctic.

Jason R. Carter

Dean and professor at Baylor University's Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, overseeing the ARKTOS Research Center.

Pete Sessions

U.S. Congressman who helped secure funding for the ARKTOS Research Center, citing the strategic importance of the Arctic region.

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What they’re saying

“We'll be able to monitor individuals, their sleep patterns, over the course of extended nights. This will be first chamber of its kind, that we could do repeated nights of research within a cold simulated environment because we even have a bathroom facility within it.”

— Jason R. Carter, Dean and professor, Baylor University

“This now is being undertaken by the United States military because they know that it's really the west, it is the future, it is what is going to be that barren fight that could take place to determine a lot of things.”

— Pete Sessions, U.S. Congressman

What’s next

Researchers at the ARKTOS center plan to expand their studies to field-based testing once they have refined their protocols and data collection methods in the simulation chamber.

The takeaway

Baylor University's new ARKTOS Research Center represents a crucial investment in preparing U.S. military personnel for the growing strategic importance of the Arctic region, where American forces will need to operate effectively in extreme cold weather conditions to maintain a competitive edge.