NASA Sustainability Base for kids
The Moon-Named Building. The true story of NASA Sustainability Base, near Mountain View, CA, told for kids.

Read along
Look over toward Moffett Field! There's a building there named after a place on the Moon! It's called NASA Sustainability Base. The name comes from Tranquility Base, the spot where people first landed on the Moon.
Here's the whoa part. This building has a well that taps the heat of the ground! It's like the Earth is a giant warm blanket, and the building snuggles up to it. It also has solar panels, which are like sunflowers that eat sunshine for lunch!
And it recycles water, so water gets a second life, like a juice box you get to refill. Now it's your turn. Can you spot something shiny out the window that might be a solar panel?
Quiz the back seat
What is the building named after?
Show the answer
A place on the Moon. Yes, a place on the Moon! It's named for Tranquility Base, the first human outpost there. No sandwiches, and no Bob!
3 fun facts
- NASA Sustainability Base is at Ames Research Center in Moffett Field.
- It was named for Tranquility Base, the first human outpost on the Moon.
- It has water recycling, solar panels, and a geothermal well system that taps the heat of the ground.
For grown-ups
Every Tumbly story is checked claim by claim against the sources below before it's published; stories that don't pass stay off the app and this site. Narration is pre-recorded, and nothing you do on this page is tied to your kids.
Sources
- mcdonoughpartners.com/projects/nasa-sustainability-base
- archdaily.com/231211/nasa-sustainability-base-william-mcdonough-partners-and-aecom
- architecturalrecord.com/articles/5984-nasa-sustainability-base
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Sustainability_Base
- mcdonough.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/NASA-book_email_121015.pdf
- usa.sika.com/sarnafil/en/sika-at-work/government-buildings/sustainability-base-nasa.html
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tranquility_Base
Nearby stories
The Forgotten Moon Tapes
Here is a secret about the Moon. In 1966, little robot spaceships zoomed around it, taking pictures.
The Giant Airship Garage
Look out the window! See that gigantic curved building, like a huge metal tunnel lying on its side?
The Mystery Blue Cube
Psst! Have you ever seen a giant blue box with no windows?
The Creek With Many Names
Psst, do you hear a little splash? Somewhere near here, a creek is wiggling along.All stories in Santa Clara County β Β· All places
Town and county names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).