It's a combination of two things: 1) Training facility for new engineers and scientists, most of whom will eventually leave academia for jobs (it is hoped) in

It's a combination of two things: 1) Training facility for new engineers and scientists, most of whom will eventually leave academia for jobs (it is hoped) in the tax-paying sector. 2) Boondoggle to economically support contractors (because they hire large numbers of voters and/or fill an important function but suffer from uneven demand).