This is good news for Bay Area drone research! From Business Week:
Google Inc. has agreed to a $1.2 billion lease of NASA’s Moffett Field airfield in California for 60 years, as the company invests in new technologies such as robotics and aviation.
As part of the deal, Google subsidiary Planetary Ventures LLC will invest more than $200 million in improvements at the site, which is near the company’s headquarters in Mountain View, according to a NASA statement. The facility is slated for research, assembly and testing in the areas of robotics, space exploration, aviation and other technologies, it said.
Google is committing more resources to cutting-edge technologies as it looks for new ventures beyond its core online search services. The Internet search provider has acquired several companies in a robotics effort that was led by Android co-founder Andy Rubin. Last month, Google said Rubin was stepping down and that James Kuffner, a research scientist, would take his position. Other research efforts have included wind power, driverless cars, drones and computerized eyewear.
Comments
The hanger is a historical landmark and I can only assume that it will be re-skinned to look as it did. I remembered it had leaking issues and was constantly being repaired.
On a seperate note. This hanger is all steel! Which I think will be an issue when flying dornes inside it. For one, there will be mulitpath signal reflections which could affect radio signals to the drone. Also GPS signals could also be affected. The two adjacent hangers across from this one are mostly made of wood. It might be a good idea is Google looks into use those hangers vice the original blimp hanger.
@Chris - That's what real estate agents call a 'fixer upper'.
@Phil the sheds at Cardington are bigger than this one, one is restored and the other half way through. MGM use one of them for making movies and the other houses amongst other things the Hybrid Air Vehicle, Blue Bear fly the UAS version from out of the shed so once again UK is ahead ;-)
Isn't that the ideal space for drone development as it is? It's an indoor free-for-all, as far as the FAA go, but it doesn't cost the gazillions to reclad it.
Ah, some DIY required...
Is this a protected building (in the UK we have listed buildings - Cardington is one such)? I guess this limits what can happen to the building - will it be given a more modern look or will it be returned to its original state?
Sorry, lots of questions there...
Before anyone gets too excited, remember it currently looks like this. There's a lot of work to be done before it becomes an indoor drone playground:
ooooo that's a lot of space to play in! Bet there are some happy people in google today! Oh! the fun I could have with that much space!
http://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/november/nasa-signs-lease-with-plane...
No FAA issues flying indoors that's for sure.
I used to work there in the 1980's when I was stationed the at Moffett Field NAS. Very big and very impressive structure!
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