"We want to thank Congress for NASA's future, " Lori Garver, NASA's deputy administrator, said during a media teleconference Thursday.

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The agency chose Bigelow for the contract because it was the only company working on inflatable technology, said NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver.

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"NASA has been making steady progress toward realizing the president's goal of deep space exploration, while doing so in a more affordable way, " NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver said.

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In February NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver visited Bigelow Aerospace's plant in North Las Vegas, and the agency is currently evaluating the company's expandable modules for use as expansions to the International Space Station.

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"This partnership agreement for the use of expandable habitats represents a step forward in cutting-edge technology that can allow humans to thrive in space safely and affordably, and heralds important progress in U.S. commercial space innovation, " NASA deputy chief Lori Garver said in a statement.

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One of those leaders was Lori Garver, who worked her way up in the male-dominated aerospace industry from an administrative assistant role to the Deputy Director of NASA. Like so many other successful people, Lori has always been driven more by what inspires her than what scares her.

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