Bigelow Aerospace creates Bigelow Space Operations to make space habitable for masses

Friday, February 23, 2018

Bigelow Aerospace, an American space technology organization announced the creation of Bigelow Space Operations which will be the next step with an effort to build world’s first habitable private space station.

The new company is required as Bigelow Aerospace is segueing into becoming a production company after existing as a laboratory for 17 years.

Bigelow Space Operations will act as the marketing, customer service and — when the company’s space stations are launched — operations center for Bigelow’s products.

According to Bigelow Space Operations, they will spend millions of dollars this year to drill down on a conclusion as to what the global space market is going to look like.

Thus far Bigelow Space Operations has brought on a handful of staff, including a chief operating officer as well as sales and contracts officers.

Bigelow Aerospace said the company plans to hire another three to four dozen employees in the coming weeks. Eventually, once stations are operational, Bigelow says he expects BSO’s staff to expand to between 400 and 500.

Bigelow Aerospace already has its habitable test module BEAM docked with the International Space Station. It arrived in April 2016 for a two-year mission to test the durability of the module. The modules built by Bigelow expand once they are deployed in orbit.

Last week Bigelow said he “applauds” the Trump administration’s “focus on commercial partnerships for low-Earth orbit” after it announced plans on February 12 to end NASA’s funding of the International Space Station in 2025 and begin a new $150 million program to build commercial platforms in orbit.

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