<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>My impression of Bigelow is that he's extremely results oriented, and that doesn't jibe with hiring 'token astronauts'.<br /><br />Experience? Yup, in jockeying around spacecraft. <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />Which doesn't mean he's hiring them for that immediate purpose; astronauts would also be very useful in the design phase by providing the benefit of their experience. They would also be invaluable for developing procedures. So this doesn't mean Bigelolw's ready to launch people this year. But it does suggest he's getting close...<br /><br />Just trying to temper the excitement a little. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> That way it'll be even more exciting should Bigelow announce what we're all hoping! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em> -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>