Capitalists in Space

Apparently the privatization of space is moving along faster than I had previously thought:

Bigelow Aerospace, a Las Vegas-based firm headed by hotelier Robert Bigelow, owner of Budget Suites of America, posted a recruitment notice for astronauts on its website.

Only professionals with space flight experience need apply, which limits the pool of possible applicants worldwide to little more than 500.

NASA's shuttle fleet is scheduled to be retired at the end of this year. With no successor craft on the near horizon, thousands of workers expect to lose their jobs.

Bigelow seeks staff for its planned orbital space complex, prototypes of which already are in orbit. The company plans a series of inflatable space habitats that can be used for research, tourism, manufacturing and other activities.

Excellent news. I hope they can make it commercially viable. Combined with the long-overdue downsizing of NASA, this means that we might finally see some forward progress in the exploitation of orbital space.

Bigelow Aerospace's website and Wikipedia page.