spacetoday.net: Bigelow Aerospace approaching deal for Atlas 5 launches

Posted: Wed, Feb 6, 2008, 4:06 AM ET (0906 GMT)
Atlas 5 launch of MRO (ILS)

Bigelow Aerospace, a company developing inflatable orbital habitats, announced Tuesday it was near a deal to purchase multiple Atlas 5 launches to carry cargo and crews to those facilities. Bigelow announced it was "converging on terms" with Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services to purchase an unspecified number of Atlas 5 launches for cargo and crew transportation services. Bigelow is currently developing inflatable modules that can be used to create facilities for a variety of commercial applications. The company anticipates needing up to a dozen launches a year when Bigelow begins operations of its first full-scale facility in 2012. The spacecraft that would be used to carry the cargo and crew would be developed separately, and no details about that vehicle have been announced.