On Aug. 13, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, officially opened the doors of its newest environmentally friendly facility — one set to house the program office leading development of the Space Launch System, the nation’s next flagship launch vehicle. Designed and built to meet federally mandated standards of energy and water efficiency, Building 4220 and other “green” facilities help cut the center’s operating and maintenance costs by 65 percent, and reduce utilities expenses by 35 to 40 percent. The new building awaits LEED® certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, the national standard for the development of high-performance, sustainable structures. This will be the seventh Marshall facility to earn LEED® certification.
Image credit: NASA/MSFC/Emmett Given