Bigelow Aerospace transfers BEAM space station module to NASA
http://spacenews.com/bigelow-aerospace-transfers-beam-space-station-module-to-nasa/
January 21, 2022
WASHINGTON — NASA has hired a new company to provide engineering support for an inflatable module on the International Space Station originally built and managed by Bigelow Aerospace.
In a Jan. 18 procurement filing, NASA announced it awarded a $250,000 contract to ATA Engineering of San Diego, California, to provide engineering support services for the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), an inflatable module added to the station in 2016. The module was built by Bigelow Aerospace, which had provided support for the module until December.
NASA announced Dec. 10 its intent to award a sole-source contract with ATA Engineering to handle those engineering services.
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This article does continue. Zim.
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Bigelow Aerospace lays off entire workforce
http://spacenews.com/bigelow-aerospace-lays-off-entire-workforce/
March 23, 2020
WASHINGTON — Bigelow Aerospace, the company founded more than two decades ago to develop commercial space habitats, laid off all its employees March 23 in a move caused at least in part by the coronavirus pandemic.
According to sources familiar with the company’s activities, Bigelow Aerospace’s 68 employees were informed that they were being laid off, effective immediately. An additional 20 employees were laid off the previous week.
Those sources said that the company, based in North Las Vegas, Nevada, was halting operations because of what one person described as a “perfect storm of problems” that included the coronavirus pandemic. On March 20, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak signed an emergency directive ordering all “nonessential” businesses to close.
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(This article also continues. Zim.)
I suspect this means Bigelow Aerospace is no longer functional . . . Which is a shame as I saw in them the means for making more affordable space habitats.
Zim.