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A NASA astronaut on a space walk - Source: Reuters -
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For astronauts worried about their future with NASA, good news:
a private company is hiring.
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.
As part of running the Bigelow space complex, company astronauts
may be tapped for spacewalks, the job note says.
The ad made no mention of salary, and the job description includes
working with the marketing department to secure government and
corporate clients.
The opening for an unspecified number of astronauts is among 45
positions Bigelow is looking to fill. Most are engineering and
technical posts.
The company is also hiring for its building and grounds maintenance team.
