Sustainable NASA Future Infrastructure

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Sustainable NASAFuture Infrastructure

• 50th R. H. Goddard Memorial Symposium
• Dreams and Possibilities Planning for the
  Achievable
• Olga Dominguez
• Assistant Administrator
• Office of Strategic Infrastructure
• March 2012

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The Earth is a Closed Loop System with many
sub-systems there is no away
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Earth Sub-Systems Human Infrastructure is one of
the subsystems
Many sub-systems - atmosphere, land, oceans,
snow, urban landscape, etc - affect daily
weather and longer-term climate. That is why
predicting weather and modeling climate change
are very complicated all of these systems have
many inputs and outputs. Source IPCC, 2007
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NASA Context
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NASAs Infrastructure Risks
These create a Challenge and an Opportunity to
Support Mission - Sustainable Processes,
Construction, Operations and Methods Drive and
Create Innovation
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Key Challenge Facility Suitability

• As asset ages rise and requirements evolve, NASA
  must renew the assets our programs need

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Integrating Sustainability Infrastructure
Mission
For NASAs infrastructure to succeed in support
of NASA missions, we need a slight shift from
what we are doing now we need to Integrate data,
requirements, future potential alternatives, and
sustainable practices and apply these
requirements to our institutional risks.
Adapting to the current needs while creating a
resilient future NASA - adjusting our designs
and management practices (within our existing
NASA processes) to mitigate mission risk and
create opportunity.
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Infuse Sustainable Thinking Into The Iron Triangle
Cost

• Cost Risk
• Material scarcity
• Rare earths
• Market pressures
• Energy costs

Performance Risk -Lack of material
pedigree -Operational uncertainty -System failures
Performance
Schedule
Schedule Risks -Material qualification -Environme
ntal compliance requirements -Waiver processing
Mitigation of Cost, Schedule and Performance
Risks Through Implementation of Sustainable
Principles Considering System Life Cycle Cost
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Vision for a Sustainable NASA

• Move beyond compliance identifying
  opportunities that meet intent provides long-term
  benefits
• Effective and efficient use of resources in
  operations to eliminate or minimize waste and
  carbon emissions
• Supply chains work with NASAs contractors to set
  standards and achieve sustainable goals with a
  secure supply chain
• Facilities Infrastructure use new designs and
  management principles that reduce operational
  risks and cost (hoteling, teleworking, net-zero,
  green roofs, day lighting.)
• Green chemistry/engineering/materials management
  integrated into the design of NASAs facilities,
  infrastructure, and Programs Projects -
  including operations and hardware

Integrating Sustainability into what we do