Engineering the Future of Space and Security
MOBILE, Ala. — Leaders from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Mobile District, recently traveled to the Gulf Coast to engage with local installation leadership and project delivery teams executing more than $150 million in critical renovation and repair projects for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The site visits spanned two premier federal hubs: NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Mississippi.
During the engagement, Mobile District leaders reviewed construction progress and evaluated safety protocols. They recognized the dedicated USACE engineers, construction representatives, and contractors working behind the scenes to modernize vital national infrastructure.
"The IIS program allows USACE Mobile District to utilize our agency's robust engineering and construction capabilities for the Department of War and expand that benefit to our nation's federal partners," said Adriel McConnell, Chief of the Mobile District International and Interagency Services.
Revitalizing "America's Rocket Factory" at Michoud
At the Michoud Assembly Facility—widely known as "America's Rocket Factory"—the Mobile District is spearheading a massive infrastructure overhaul. The centerpiece of this effort is revitalizing one of the largest contiguous roofs in the United States, spanning over 43 acres atop the main manufacturing building. Executing a roofing project of this scale along the hurricane-prone Gulf Coast presents a unique engineering challenge: the building must remain 100% operational throughout construction. Beneath the active roof work, NASA and its industry partners continue the sensitive, round-the-clock manufacturing and assembly of large-scale space structures and systems, including components for the Space Launch System (SLS) and Artemis lunar exploration missions.
Through meticulous phasing, strict quality control, and close coordination with NASA facility managers, the USACE project team ensures that critical aerospace production remains completely uninterrupted and protected from the elements.
Expanding Secure Production at Stennis Space Center
Following the Michoud tour, leadership traveled across the state line to NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. There, the Mobile District is managing the complex revitalization of another expansive facility supporting the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO)—formerly known as the Government Printing Office. The project directly supports the GPO's urgent requirement to expand and modernize its Secure Production Facility. As one of only two such federal facilities in the nation, the Stennis operation plays an indispensable role in national security and citizen services.
USACE teams are executing major structural, mechanical, and electrical upgrades to prepare the facility for next-generation passport printing technology scheduled to come online later next year. Once complete, the modernized plant will significantly bolster the nation's secure credential manufacturing capacity and resilience.
Interagency Partnership in Action
The dual-site visit underscored the Mobile District's versatile capabilities as a premier federal engineering partner. Whether safeguarding the assembly of deep-space rockets or modernizing secure printing lines for American travelers, the district's workforce continues to deliver complex infrastructure solutions on time and within budget.
"Our NASA projects showcase that capability to renovate and restore large building infrastructure ahead of schedule under difficult conditions, where existing operations cannot be impacted," McConnell said.
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