A model of Bigelow's proposed lunar base, via Bigelow Airspace
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In addition to a habitat on the Moon in Earth orbit, Bigelow is also interested in the possibility of building a permanent fueling station at one of the Earth-Moon system’s LaGrange points.The inflatable portion of the ISS is also set to get bigger. In January, Bigelow and NASA signed a deal that will see the aerospace company deliver a larger inflatable module, the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module or BEAM, to the ISS as part of a 2015 SpaceX cargo resupply mission.And, of course, this isn’t a new idea. NASA is as familiar with inflatable modules as Bigelow. The agency considered, but never built, an inflatable space station in the early 1960s.Eventually, Bigelow hopes to make that decades old NASA dream a reality by building an inflatable commercial space station and putting it into orbit. A pair of BA330 modules, each with a livable space of 330 cubic meters, will be used to create an “Alpha Station” capable of supporting a crew of 12.Of course, if and when this station will be launched depends on how regularly crews would visit, meaning it’s likely we’ll see this station’s launch coincide with the advent of commercial low Earth orbital flight in the coming decade. So it’s plausible, but in the preliminary stages for now.The agreement between Bigelow and NASA is aimed at studying ways in which private ventures in space could contribute to overall human space exploration. Bigelow is joining the other players that are starting to really open space up for the everyman.