KSC-2011-1156

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida hosts a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the space agency's most environmentally friendly facility, the Propellants North Administrative and Maintenance Facility in Kennedy's Launch Complex 39 area. From left, are Mike Benik, director of Kennedy's Center Operations; James Wright, deputy assistant administrator for the Office of Strategic Infrastructure at NASA Headquarters; Bob Cabana, Kennedy's center director; Ward Davis, president of HW Davis Construction Inc.; and Rick Ferreira, chief operating officer of Jones Edmunds and Associates Inc. Propellants North consists of two buildings, one to store cryogenic fuel transfer equipment and one to house personnel who support fueling spacecraft. The recently rebuilt buildings will be NASA's first carbon neutral facility, which means it will produce enough energy on site from renewable sources to offset what it requires to operate. The facility also will reach for the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) Platinum status, which is the highest LEED rating. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett