"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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