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| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1998 [1] |
| Founder | Robert Bigelow (Founder and President) |
| Defunct | 2020 |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Robert Bigelow, Blair Bigelow [2] |
| Products | Orbital facilities, commercial space stations |
Number of employees | Unknown |
| Website | bigelowaerospace |
| Part of a series on |
| Private spaceflight |
|---|
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Bigelow Aerospace was an American space design and manufacturing company which closed its doors in 2020. It was an aeronautics and outer space technology company which manufactured and developed expandable space station modules. Bigelow Aerospace was founded by Robert Bigelow in 1998, and was based in North Las Vegas, Nevada. It was funded in large part by the profit Bigelow gained through his ownership of the hotel chain, Budget Suites of America.[3]
The company built two unmanned free-flying prototypes that flew in 2006 and 2007 and a module attached to the International Space Station. Bigelow Aerospace announced in 2010 that they intended to create a modular set of space habitats for creating or expanding space stations.[4] By 2013, Bigelow had invested US$250 million in the company.[5] Bigelow stated on a number of occasions that he was prepared to fund Bigelow Aerospace with about US$500 million through 2015 in order to achieve launch of full-scale hardware.[3][6]
In March 2020, the company laid off all 88 of its employees due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] As of January 2024[update] the company remains dormant and is currently considered defunct.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
sf20060624was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "@BlairBigelow" on Twitter
- ^ a b Covault, Craig (27 September 2004). "Bigelow's Gamble". Aviation Week & Space Technology. Retrieved 17 February 2010 – via Spaceflight Now.
- ^ "Bigelow still thinks big". The Space Review. 1 November 2010. Retrieved 2 November 2010.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
bw20130502was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Little, Geoffrey (1 January 2008). "Mr. B's Big Plan". Air & Space Magazine. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
sn20200323was invoked but never defined (see the help page).