Google has signed a long term agreement worth over $1 billion with NASA to lease part of historic Navy air base on the San Francisco peninsula, planning to renovate three of the hangars of the base and use them for various projects involving space exploration, robotics and aviation, USA Today reports. The search giant will pay $1.16 billion for using the buildings – and probably also the air field and the golf course – on the 1,000 acre property for 60 years. According to a statement made by NASA on the matter, the Mountain View based internet giant plans to invest massive amounts into the refurbishment of the compound at the Moffett Field Naval Air Station on the San Francisco Peninsula.. Out of the $200 million set aside by the company for this project Google will not only refurbish the hangars it needs for research and development, but also create a museum or educational facility to show the history of the town and of Silicon Valley, as well as create many other improvements.
The compound will be used by Planetary Ventures LLC, a Google subsidiary, to conduct research, development, assembly and testing in the fields of space exploration, aviation, robotics, and other emerging technologies, NASA’s statement reads. Google did not discuss specific plans for the property. Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google’s founders, have a well-known interest for aviation and space, and Google has recently taken over several smaller companies involved in satellite technology and robotics.
Both the local officials and the aerospace administration have saluted Google’s decision to lease the historic Moffett Field Naval Air Station. NASA’s maintenance costs of the property will be eliminated, and the contracts allows the institution to also reduce its list of surplus property. The region’s officials will be contempt to see the search giant restore the air base’s Hangar One, which is a San Francisco Bay Area landmark, considering it a major win for the region.