Douglas Isbell
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                		Oct. 2, 1995
(Phone:  202/358-1753)

Ernie J. Shannon
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
(Phone: 301/286-6256)

RELEASE:  95-190 (C95-q)

GODDARD AWARDS BUILDING CONTRACT TO VIRGINIA FIRM

     Officials at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,  Greenbelt, Md., have awarded a $36.5 million contract to
the  Manhattan Construction Co., Fairfax, Va., to build the Earth  Systems Science Building at Goddard. 
Construction is  expected to start in early October and should take approximately two years. 

     The building will house the majority of Goddard's  Earth Science Directorate employees.  Research conducted 
in  the facility will support NASA's Mission to Planet Earth  and will be dedicated to developing a greater 
understanding  of the Earth's global environment.  The building will be  located on the east side of Soil 
Conservation Road at Goddard.

 - end -