Bigelow Aerospace to Study Moon Base in Deal With NASA

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Source: Bloomberg

Bigelow Aerospace LLC, a maker of inflatable space habitats, will study the possible return of men to the moon as part of an agreement with NASA that may lead to more public-private partnerships for exploration.

The company said it will identify options for government and private investments to advance human space exploration beyond low-Earth orbit, or more than 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) from Earth’s surface. Las Vegas-based Bigelow Aerospace won’t be paid for work that is scheduled to be completed this year.

A lunar base will be part of the study announced today by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, though the space agency isn’t planning to fund a moon mission. NASA instead intends to focus on landing humans on an asteroid by 2021.

The deal “signals that NASA is open to working with the private sector on lunar activities even if the agency itself does not want to lead such an effort,” Scott Pace, director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, said in a phone interview.

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Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-23/bigelow-aerospace-to-study-moon-base-in-deal-with-nasa.html

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1. I-Team: NASA, NLV Aerospace Co. to Explore Space Together

http://www.8newsnow.com/story/22411490/i-team-nasa-nlv-aerospace-company-sign-agreement

I-Team: NASA, NLV Aerospace Co. to Explore Space Together

Posted: May 23, 2013 4:40 PM PDT
Updated: May 23, 2013 6:17 PM PDT

By George Knapp, Chief Investigative Reporter - bio | email
By Matt Adams, Chief Photojournalist - email

(TV news video)

LAS VEGAS -- A North Las Vegas aerospace company is preparing to boldly go where few have gone before -- a public-private partnership with NASA that could be the start of the next space race.

Nevada's Bigelow Aerospace Co. made a joint announcement with NASA Thursday morning in Washington, D.C., that puts the North Las Vegas company in the pilot seat for the exploration and commercial development of the moon, Mars and beyond.

When the I-Team broke the news in late March that Bigelow Aerospace had signed an agreement with NASA to become, in essence, the general contractor for the commercial development of space, there was considerable skepticism within the national aerospace press corps, who figured it couldn't be true because they would have known about it.

Well, it is true, and on Thursday, NASA admitted as much. The agreement is as wide open as space itself and it puts Bigelow right in the middle of exciting scenarios worthy of Star Trek.

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2. NASA/Bigelow press briefing

http://www.newspacewatch.com/articles/nasabigelow-press-briefing.html

NASA/Bigelow press briefing
May 23 2013 06:43:29 PM | by Clark Lindsey, Managing Editor

Listened to the NASA and Bigelow Aerospace press briefing on the study by Bigelow into possible joint public/commercial endeavors beyond earth orbit. The briefing was given by

- William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator, human exploration and operations, NASA
- Robert Bigelow, founder and president, Bigelow Aerospace

Gerstenmaier first gave a brief review of how the agreement came about.

Bigelow:

- About halfway through the study period
- The Phase 1 (or "Gate 1&quot draft is already done, 40 days ahead of schedule
- Want to approach public/commercial partnerships in a "holistic", "organic" manner
- He reads the intro to the Space Act Agreement (SAA)

Notes on the Q&A:

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3. If they don't call it "Moon Base Alpha" I'll be disappointed.

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4. More info at nasaspaceflight.com (which is not a NASA site)

Someone posted the audio, some comments by someone who was there, etc.
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=31974