MAF greenspace development eyed

NEW ORLEANS -- NASA is looking for partners to develop hundreds of acres of underutilized green space around Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, NASA's 43-acre manufacturing facility. NASA says development of the green space at MAF is an integral part its vision for transforming the facility. MAF had been the location where space shuttle's external tanks were built, but employment dropped with the end of that program in 2011. NASA has been transforming MAF from a single project facility to a multi-tenant plant used by NASA, other government agencies and commercial entities. NASA is using MAF to build the Orion spacecraft and the core stage of the Space Launch System. It's also being used by Lockheed Martin to build composite components for Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser. Better utilizing the space around Michoud has been discussed for years. As far back as 2008, NASA talked about turning the 830 acres around MAF into a research park, similar to Cummings Research Park in Huntsville, Ala.. (Source: GCAC, 05/03/14) (FBO notice, 05/01/14)