WHAT: Elected officials, dignitaries and JPL employees will gather Monday, Oct. 26, to celebrate the opening of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s state-of-the-art “green” building. The six-story Flight Projects Center will house 620 employees during the design and development phases of various missions. This new building has dozens of environmentally-friendly features, including:
* A green, living roof to keep the building cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
* “Smart” heating and cooling systems.
* Paints and other surface materials with low levels of fumes.
The building recently received a LEED gold certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system, set up by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council.
WHO: Scheduled attendees include U.S. Rep. David Dreier; La Canada Flintridge Mayor Laura Olhasso; state Assembly member Anthony Portantino; and staff representing U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff and state Sen. Carol Liu. Also present will be JPL Director Charles Elachi and Caltech President Jean-Lou Chameau.
WHEN: The ribbon-cutting ceremony takes place on Oct. 26 at 10 a.m., and includes refreshments and a tour of the building. Media should arrive by 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, Calif.
Media interested in attending must RSVP by 8 a.m. Monday, Oct. 26, to Elena Mejia or Mark Petrovich in JPL Media Relations at 818-354-5011. Valid media credentials are required, and non- U.S. citizens must also bring passports.
More information about the building is at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features.cfm?feature=2198 .
More information about the U.S. Green Building Council is at http://www.usgbc.org/ .
Caltech manages JPL for NASA.
