JPL's 'Green' Space Flight Building Debuts with Ribbon-Cutting

MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91109. TELEPHONE 818-354-5011
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov

Elena Mejia/Mark Petrovich 818-393-5467/393-4359
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
Elena.Mejia@jpl.nasa.gov / Mark.Petrovich@jpl.nasa.gov

News release: 2009-157 Oct. 26, 2009

JPL's 'Green' Space Flight Building Debuts with Ribbon-Cutting

The full version of this story with accompanying images is at:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2009-157

NASA's "greenest" building to date -- an environmentally friendly Flight Projects Center
at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. -- is now open for business,
following a ribbon-cutting ceremony today attended by lawmakers and local dignitaries.

The building houses missions during their design and development phases. It will enable
engineers and scientists from various countries to collaborate more closely during these
critical mission phases.

"It seems fitting that the new building, where teams will plan future space missions that
use new technologies, also has the latest 'green' technologies to help JPL do its part to
improve our environment here on Earth," said JPL Director Charles Elachi, who helped
cut the ribbon at today's ceremony.

Also attending today's ceremony were U.S. Rep. David Drier; La Canada-Flintridge
Mayor Laura Olhasso; staff representing U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff; and Caltech President
Jean-Lou Chameau.

The building has received the "LEED Gold Certification" under the Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design rating system, set up by the non-profit U.S. Green Building
Council. It is the first NASA building to achieve that certification. To qualify, buildings
must meet several criteria. For example, they must make efficient use of water, energy
and resources, and provide a healthy and comfortable indoor workspace.

The many "green" features of the new building include:

• A living roof to keep the building cool in summer months and warm in the winter.
Desert plants on the roof and other landscaping require 72 percent less water than a
typical Southern California landscape design.

• Outdoor lighting is used for safety purposes only and is directed toward the ground,
reducing the amount of light pollution that escapes to the night sky.

• Low-flow faucets and toilets reduce water use by 40 percent compared with typical
fixtures.

• Improved wall insulation, efficient chillers and boilers and window shading devices.

• The paints and other surface materials have low levels of toxic fumes.

• The heating and cooling system is "smart" -- it knows whether people are in a room and
adjusts the temperature and ventilation accordingly.

• The janitorial staff uses green cleaning products and practices.

More than 75 percent of the waste generated during construction of the new building was
diverted from a landfill to a local recycling facility. Wood was acquired from Forest
Stewardship Council-certified suppliers, ensuring sustainable harvesting of trees.

More information about the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating
system and the U.S. Green Building Council is online at http://www.usgbc.org .

More information about JPL is online at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov . The California
Institute of Technology in Pasadena manages JPL for NASA.

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