LAS VEGAS -- A North Las Vegas aerospace company is preparing to boldly go where few have gone before -- a public-private partnership with NASA that could be the start of the next space race.

Nevada's Bigelow Aerospace Co. made a joint announcement with NASA Thursday morning in Washington, D.C., that puts the North Las Vegas company in the pilot seat for the exploration and commercial development of the moon, Mars and beyond.

When the I-Team broke the news in late March that Bigelow Aerospace had signed an agreement with NASA to become, in essence, the general contractor for the commercial development of space, there was considerable skepticism within the national aerospace press corps, who figured it couldn't be true because they would have known about it.

LAS VEGAS -- A Las Vegas space entrepreneur has signed a deal with NASA that sets the tone for the future of space exploration, including possible bases on the moon.

Back in January, Robert Bigelow of Bigelow Aerospace announced along with NASA that one of the expandable modules built at his plant in North Las Vegas would be added to the International Space Station. In March, the I-Team reported that an even bigger deal was in the works.

On Thursday, Bigelow and NASA will make a formal announcement in Washington, D.C. The deal calls for Bigelow Aerospace to be the centerpiece of an ambitious series of private space projects, including possible bases on the moon and Mars, plus Bigelow's own private space station.