Main Engine Cut OffBigelow Lays Off All Employees
Jeff Foust, for SpaceNews:
According to sources familiar with the company’s activities, Bigelow Aerospace’s 68 employees were informed that they were being laid off, effective immediately. An additional 20 employees were laid off the previous week.
Those sources said that the company, based in North Las Vegas, Nevada, was halting operations because of what one person described as a “perfect storm of problems” that included the coronavirus pandemic. On March 20, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak signed an emergency directive ordering all “nonessential” businesses to close.
Bummer for everyone there, but for years it has been known that Bigelow was a hot mess internally. So much potential in what they could have done if they had the right mix of leadership and vision and drive.
Also, I hate this whole “in part because of the pandemic” thing going on. Does anyone truly believe that ExoMars 2020 was delayed and that Bigelow laid off everyone because of a pandemic? Sure, it makes things harder. But the writing was on the wall for both of these programs.