It was some time in the making, but Google made a bolt-on acquisition by leasing the 1,000-acre Moffett Airfield from NASA for 60 years and a total price of $1.16 billion.
“As NASA expands its presence in space, we are making strides to reduce our footprint here on Earth,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. He also noted the public will save $6.3 million in maintenance costs, which Google will also cover on top of the lease payments.
Despite the involvement of NASA, Moffett Airfield, named after Rear Adm. William A. Moffett, was mostly used by the Navy for testing, education, and surveillance efforts after its construction in 1931. It therefore does not contain a launchpad for space shuttles or interstellar rockets.
It is other factors that make this project a fantastic one for Google, which is leasing the property through its direct subsidiary Planetary Ventures LLC.
