Google inches closer to leasing NASA hangars, Moffett airfield
Planetary Ventures, a Google subsidiary, has been chosen as the "preferred lessee" to manage the airfield, rehabilitate its hangars and, oddly enough, spruce up its golf course.
Google subsidiary Planetary Ventures will soon be in charge of maintaining and improving a federal airfield.
NASA and the US General Services Administration have chosen Planetary Ventures as the "preferred lessee" to manage Moffett Federal Airfield, which sits between Mountain View and Sunnyvale in Northern California. Assuming the entities can agree on lease terms, Google will be charged with managing the airfield and rehabbing the historic hangars on the site.
NASA has been trying to offload the responsibility of managing the airfield for quite some time. In a statement Monday, the agency said the lease will help it reduce costs and generate some revenue.
NASA's statement on the impending lease deal didn't specify what Mountain View-based Google will need to do. However, the company has already committed to upgrading the hangars, creating an educational facility on-site, and upgrading a golf course on the airfield.
CNET has contacted Google for comment on the lease. We will update this story when we have more information.