Princeton University renovated two floors of the south wing of 171 Broadmead, the former childcare center. These renovations are for Professor David McComas who has been selected by NASA to lead the next NASA space physics mission. The laboratory will be used to develop space flight instrumentation for NASA’s newly selected Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) slated to launch in 2024. It will also be used to create prototype and advance concepts for electron and ion spectrometers, ion mass spectrometers, and energetic neutral atom instruments for other future NASA missions. Finally, it serves as a teaching laboratory for a laboratory course in space plasma instrumentation currently under development.

The basement of the south wing is used for cleanroom and laboratory space, the first floor is office space for Professor McComas and the research group. The project also provides mechanical, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical infrastructure to support the new workspaces.