Bigelow Aerospace

Bigelow Aerospace transfers BEAM space station module to NASA
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.

Bigelow Aerospace lays off entire workforce
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.

Bigelow Aerospace sets sights on free-flying station after passing on ISS commercial module
The founder of Bigelow Aerospace says his company decided not to pursue a NASA competition for a commercial International Space Station module because of funding concerns, but remains interested in a separate effort for supporting a free-flying facility in low Earth orbit.

NASA planning to keep BEAM module on ISS for the long haul
An experimental module added to the International Space Station three years ago to test expandable module technologies has been cleared to remain on the station through the late 2020s.

Companies express varying interest in NASA’s ISS commercialization plan
NASA’s announcement of a new low Earth orbit commercialization strategy has prompted varying degrees of interest from companies, but even the most ardent supporters caution that the “devil is in the details.”

Taco Bell Space Station? It’s possible, panelists say
If a new commercial space station is “paid for by Taco Bell, it will be the Taco Bell Space Station,” said Benjamin Reed, deputy director for the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Satellite Servicing Projects Division.

Bigelow Aerospace establishes space operations company to look at commercial space station market
Bigelow Aerospace has established a space operations subsidiary whose first task will be to study the market for the company's commercial space stations as it grapples with competition from China and NASA.

Bigelow and ULA announce plans for lunar orbiting facility
Bigelow Aerospace and United Launch Alliance said Oct. 17 that they are cooperating on the development of a habitat orbiting the moon that they hope to build in a public-private partnership with NASA.

NASA plans to extend expandable module’s stay on space station
NASA plans to keep an experimental expandable module attached to the International Space Station beyond its original two-year lifetime, the agency announced Oct. 2.

Cruz interested in updating Outer Space Treaty to support commercial space activities
The chairman of the Senate space subcommittee said at a hearing April 26 that it may be time for the United States to update a key space treaty to reflect growing commercial space activities.

Bigelow Aerospace seeking additional use of experimental ISS module
Bigelow Aerospace is in discussions with NASA about extended use of an experimental module added to the International Space Station last year, but both the company and the space agency say no agreement has been reached yet.

Bigelow calls on Trump to sharply increase NASA spending
Space entrepreneur Robert Bigelow said Nov. 17 that he believes that the Trump administration should as much as double NASA’s budget in the coming years and make plans for a human return to the moon.

NASA to move ahead with plans to offer ISS docking port for private modules
NASA will move ahead later this year with plans to offer a docking port and other resources to companies interested in adding a commercial module to the International Space Station, NASA and the White House said Oct. 11.

NASA seeking ideas for use of space station docking port
As two companies move forward with plans to develop commercial modules for use on the International Space Station as precursors to independent space stations, NASA is soliciting concepts for use of a space station docking port.

BEAM module fully expanded on space station
An expandable module on the International Space Station finally deployed to its full size May 28 after a day’s worth of work, overcoming earlier problems with the experimental module.

NASA to make second attempt to deploy BEAM
NASA plans to make a second attempt to deploy an expandable module attached to the International Space Station as early as May 28, confident that there is no fundamental problem keeping it from expanding.

NASA’s expansion of BEAM module hits snag
Bigelow Aerospace and NASA are reevaluating their plans for the expansion of the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) after astronauts on the International Space Station were unable to expand the module to its full size on Thursday.

Bigelow executive to lead SSL’s Washington office
Space Systems Loral, seeking to expand its government business, has named a longtime Bigelow Aerospace executive as its new head of Washington operations.

ULA and Bigelow announce partnership for launching commercial space stations
Bigelow Aerospace and United Launch Alliance announced a partnership April 11 that could lead to the launch of a Bigelow expandable module to be installed on the International Space Station as soon as 2020.

SpaceX ready to resume cargo missions to the space station
SpaceX is prepared to launch its first cargo mission to the International Space Station since a June 2015 launch failure, a mission that will bring to the station both experiments and a prototype expandable module.