---
aliases:
- Robert T. Bigelow
- Robert Thomas Bigelow
- Bob Bigelow
born: 1944-05-12
category: UFO & Anomalous Phenomena
location: Las Vegas, Nevada
relations:
- fn: 8
  role: contribution of 20,000,500 dollars reported March 30, 2023
  start: 2023-03-30
  type: funded
  with: '[[Never Back Down Inc.]]'
- fn: 8
  role: contributions of 14,175,400 dollars in 2024 and 250,000 dollars in January
    2025
  start: 2024-02-09
  type: funded
  with: '[[Make America Great Again Inc.]]'
- fn: 7
  role: 10,800 dollars in 1998, 2003 and 2010
  start: 1998-08-07
  type: funded
  with: '[[Friends for Harry Reid]]'
- fn: 7
  role: 5,000 dollars (June 13, 2003) and 5,000 dollars from Bigelow Development Aerospace
    LLC (June 30, 2004)
  start: 2003-06-13
  type: funded
  with: '[[Searchlight Leadership Fund]]'
- fn: 9
  role: president and director, and treasurer and director, per Form 990-PF for the
    fiscal year ended January 31, 2024
  start: 2024-01
  type: director_of
  with: '[[Robert Thomas Bigelow Educational Foundation]]'
- fn: 9
  role: president and director, and treasurer and director, per Form 990-PF for the
    fiscal year ended January 31, 2024
  start: 2024-01
  type: director_of
  with: '[[Robert Thomas Bigelow Medical Foundation]]'
summary: Bigelow has had a lifelong obsession with UAP and paranormal occurrences,
  and he has used his personal fortune to fund research into these mysteries.
tags:
- Person
- UFO
- Politician
updated: 2026-10-02
---

[Robert Bigelow](/people/robert-bigelow/) is a billionaire hotelier, developer, and aerospace magnate known for his long-standing interest in [Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena](/concepts/unidentified-anomalous-phenomena/) (UAP) and paranormal research. His company, [Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies](/organizations/bigelow-aerospace-advanced-space-studies/) (BAASS), was the primary contractor for the [Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program](/programs/advanced-aerospace-threat-identification-program/) (AAWSAP), the precursor to the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP).[^1]

### Interest in UAP and Paranormal Research

Bigelow has had a lifelong obsession with UAP and paranormal occurrences, and he has used his personal fortune to fund research into these mysteries. In the 1990s, he founded the [National Institute for Discovery Science](/organizations/national-institute-for-discovery-science/) (NIDS) to study UAP and the paranormal. He also purchased [Skinwalker Ranch](/places/skinwalker-ranch/) in Utah, a property known for its long history of strange and often terrifying phenomena, so that his scientists could study the anomalous activity there.[^1]

### Role in AATIP

Through his friendship with Senator [Harry Reid](/people/harry-reid/), Bigelow became a central figure in the establishment of AAWSAP. His company, BAASS, was awarded the contract to conduct research for the program, with a total award amount of 21,948,810 dollars on one released copy of the order form and 10,000,000 dollars on another.[^2] BAASS was responsible for investigating UAP incidents, including the [Colares Incidents](/events/colares-incidents/) in [Brazil](/places/brazil/), and for compiling a massive database of UAP encounters. The company also continued the investigation of Skinwalker Ranch under the auspices of the AATIP program.[^1]

Bigelow's involvement was crucial to the operation of AATIP, and [Luis Elizondo](/people/luis-elizondo/) wrote that he spent his own money to front some of the program's costs. However, his role as a private contractor also drew scrutiny from within the [Pentagon](/organizations/pentagon/) and was used by detractors to create a false impression that the program had gone rogue.[^1]

### Federal awards to Bigelow companies

USAspending.gov, which holds federal contract data from fiscal 2008 onward, lists these awards to Bigelow Aerospace entities (companies, not Robert Bigelow personally), all from [NASA](/organizations/nasa/): contract NNH13CH31C to Bigelow Aerospace LLC, "to provide and operate the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) on-board the International Space Station," phase 2 of the BEAM demonstration project, awarded after full and open competition, period December 20, 2012 to July 1, 2018, 17,839,858 dollars obligated;[^3] contract NNH15CN82C to Bigelow Aerospace LLC for NextSTEP conceptual studies leveraging the B330 habitat, resulting from broad agency announcement NNH15ZCQ001K, period July 31, 2015 to June 30, 2020, with 12,244,738.15 dollars obligated against a potential value of 16,044,796.15 dollars and 4,875,578 dollars in outlays;[^4] and three delivery orders to Bigelow Space One LLC for BEAM support: 80JSC021F0007 (October 19, 2020 to December 15, 2021, not competed, 5,006,667 dollars obligated, 5,000,000 dollars outlaid), 80JSC019F0011 (150,000 dollars) and 80JSC018F0024 (40,000 dollars).[^5] The obligations listed total 35,281,263.15 dollars. USAspending returns no award record for contract HHM402-08-C-0072 or for Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies; the [Defense Intelligence Agency](/organizations/defense-intelligence-agency/) documents for that contract state the paying office as the [NSA](/organizations/nsa/) Finance and Accounting Office.

### Lobbying registrations

Senate Lobbying Disclosure Act filings (searchable at lda.gov) show Bigelow Aerospace LLC as a client of Carliner Strategies LLC from the second quarter of 2014 (lobbyist Paul Carliner, who disclosed a prior position as subcommittee staff director on the Senate Appropriations Committee) and of Brimley Group Inc. from the fourth quarter of 2014 (lobbyists Jessica Nickel and Thomas Culligan, who disclosed prior positions with Representatives Robert Portman, Thomas Petri and Frank Wolf). The disclosed issues were funding for NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems account and the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation. Carliner reported 10,000 dollars (second quarter 2014), 30,000 (third), 70,000 (fourth) and 30,000 per quarter through 2015, a total of 230,000 dollars; Brimley reported 20,000 dollars (fourth quarter 2014) and 30,000 per quarter through 2015, a total of 140,000 dollars. From the second quarter of 2016 Bigelow Aerospace LLC registered as its own lobbying firm (lobbyists Christopher Hearsey, listed as director of legislative affairs, and Ryan Noble) and reported expenses of 77,000 dollars (second quarter 2016), 110,000 (third and fourth quarters 2016), 110,000 (first through third quarters 2017) and 10,000 (fourth quarter 2017), a total of 637,000 dollars, on "commercialization of in-space expandable habitats" and "concerns arising from the authorization and supervision of commercial space activities," with the House, Senate, Office of Management and Budget, Federal Aviation Administration and [State Department](/organizations/state-department/) listed as contacts. The searches found no filing by Bigelow entities that mentions unidentified anomalous phenomena.[^6]

### Federal campaign contributions

OpenFEC schedule A records list the following contributions by Robert T. Bigelow and Bigelow companies (receipts dated 1979 to 2025).

To committees of Harry Reid: Friends for Harry Reid, two entries of 1,000 dollars on August 7, 1998, two of 2,000 dollars on June 12, 2003 and two of 2,400 dollars on June 8, 2010 (10,800 dollars in all); and the Searchlight Leadership Fund (Reid's leadership PAC, per its [FEC](/organizations/federal-election-commission/) registration), 5,000 dollars on June 13, 2003 and 5,000 dollars on June 30, 2004 from Bigelow Development Aerospace LLC (the same date carries a 5,000 dollar memo attribution to Bigelow personally).[^7] The same Bigelow Development Aerospace LLC gave 5,000 dollars to Friends of the Big Sky on April 2, 2004. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee received 28,500 dollars from Bigelow on September 28, 2007 and 28,500 dollars on June 30, 2008 (employer "Bigelow Investment Company"). Reid's July 2008 supplemental appropriation language and the September 22, 2008 award to BAASS fall between and after those two dates.

To Republican and other federal committees before 2022: Friends for Bryan (1,000 dollars, March 23, 1988); Committee to Elect Demar Dahl (1,000, October 28, 1992); Berkley for Congress and related Berkley committees (1,000 in 1997, 2,000 in 1999, 4,800 in 2010, 2,000 for Berkley for Senate in 2011); Rehberg for Congress (two entries of 2,000 dollars on June 23, 2003 from Robert T. Bigelow, and two of 2,000 dollars on March 31, 2004 recorded under "Mrs. Robert T. Bigelow," occupation "hotel/real estate developer"); Ensign for Senate (2,100, September 11, 2006); Committee to Re-elect Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (2,000 in 2004, 2,300 in 2008, 500 in 2010) and Rohrabacher for Congress (5,400 on November 21, 2017); Chambliss for Senate (2,300, 2008); the National Republican Congressional Committee (15,000 dollars, April 7, 2010); the Nevada Republican State Central Committee (10,000, October 8, 2010); Heller Victory Committee (30,800 dollars, December 31, 2011, with the same amount attributed to the National Republican Senatorial Committee); Heller for Senate (2,700 in 2018 as joint-fundraising attribution) and Heller Senate Victory Committee (14,600, March 1, 2018); and Team Hardy Nevada Tough Victory Fund (240,000 dollars, October 24, 2018).[^8]

In 2022: Take Back the Senate (255,000 dollars, August 17), American Resolve PAC (200,000 dollars, August 26), the Noem Victory Fund (25,000 dollars, June 13), Maggie's List (5,000 dollars on December 27, 2021 and 5,000 on January 4, 2022), Kat for Congress (5,742 dollars), Becker for Congress (5,800) and Committee to Elect Sam Peters (5,800, with a 2,900 dollar memo reversal), and a 2,900 dollar memo entry to Michelle Steel for Congress. Morning in America PAC received 5,000,000 dollars from Bigelow on August 11, 2022, recorded as three entries (2,000,000, 2,000,000 and 1,000,000), all listing the employer as Bigelow Aerospace and reported on a 2023 filing.[^8]

In 2023 and after: Never Back Down Inc. (FEC committee C00834077, a super PAC), 20,000,500 dollars, reported March 30, 2023; Make America Great Again Inc., 5,000,000 dollars (February 9, 2024), 4,175,400 dollars (March 28, 2024) and 5,000,000 dollars (June 26, 2024), then 250,000 dollars on January 23, 2025; and Trump 47 Committee, Inc. (a joint fundraising committee), 824,600 dollars on March 29, 2024, with memo entries of the same date allocating amounts to the Republican National Committee and 40 state and territorial party committees (10,000 dollars each, 400,000 dollars in all, dated March 29, June 27 and June 28, 2024).[^8]

### Foundations

The Robert Thomas Bigelow Educational Foundation Inc and the Robert Thomas Bigelow Medical Foundation Inc were recognized as 501(c)(3) private foundations in March 2024 at 4640 S Eastern Ave, [Las Vegas](/places/las-vegas/), Nevada. Their Forms 990-PF for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2024 list Robert Thomas Bigelow as president and director and as treasurer and director, Donna Stauch as secretary and director, and Colm Kelleher and Jody Erickson as directors, with no compensation reported on the Educational Foundation return (and 7,231 dollars for Jody Erikson on the Medical Foundation return); each foundation reports 62,000 dollars in contributions, all from Robert Thomas Bigelow, and the preparer is McCarthy Kaster Guerrero CPAs Ltd.[^9] For the fiscal year ended January 31, 2025, the Educational Foundation's Form 990-PF reports contributions of 643,050 dollars (639,700 dollars from Robert Thomas Bigelow), total expenses of 658,557 dollars, officer and director compensation of 254,134 dollars (Stauch 95,769, Kelleher 93,365, Erickson 65,000), and 151,195 dollars in grants to six recipients described as "challenge grant award winners for the 'Survival of Human Consciousness After Death' contest." The Medical Foundation's return for the same year reports contributions of 94,100 dollars, all from Bigelow, and total expenses of 131,828 dollars.[^10] National Institute for Discovery Science does not appear in the ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer database.

[^1]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.
[^2]: Defense Intelligence Agency, Standard Form 1449, order HHM402-08-C-0072, signed September 22, 2008 (FOIA-00269-2018, block 26); and the copy attached to modification P00001, effective September 2, 2009. https://documents2.theblackvault.com/documents/dia/AAWSAP/FOIA-00269-2018-.pdf and https://documents2.theblackvault.com/documents/dia/AAWSAP/Contract_FY10.pdf
[^3]: USAspending.gov, award CONT_AWD_NNH13CH31C_8000_-NONE-_-NONE-, Bigelow Aerospace LLC, NASA. https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_NNH13CH31C_8000_-NONE-_-NONE-
[^4]: USAspending.gov, award CONT_AWD_NNH15CN82C_8000_-NONE-_-NONE-. https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_NNH15CN82C_8000_-NONE-_-NONE-
[^5]: USAspending.gov awards CONT_AWD_80JSC021F0007_8000_80JSC018D0001_8000, CONT_AWD_80JSC019F0011_8000_80JSC018D0001_8000 and CONT_AWD_80JSC018F0024_8000_80JSC018D0001_8000 (Bigelow Space One LLC). https://api.usaspending.gov/api/v2/awards/CONT_AWD_80JSC021F0007_8000_80JSC018D0001_8000/
[^6]: Senate Office of Public Records, Lobbying Disclosure Act database, filings with client or registrant name "Bigelow Aerospace," 2014 through 2017 (23 filings in all, including three registration reports), retrieved October 2, 2026. https://lda.gov/api/v1/filings/?client_name=Bigelow+Aerospace
[^7]: Federal Election Commission, OpenFEC API, schedule A receipts, committees C00204370 (Friends for Harry Reid, Senate) and C00327395 (Searchlight Leadership Fund, sponsor candidate Harry Reid), sub_ids 3061920110006449337, 3061920110006449338, 1070820110008097328, 1070820110008097329, 2072820101127880321, 2072820101127880567, 4070920041040043086, 4072020041040387575, 4072020041040387576. https://api.open.fec.gov/v1/schedules/schedule_a/
[^8]: Federal Election Commission, OpenFEC API, schedule A, contributor name search "Bigelow, Robert" with contributor_state NV, retrieved October 2, 2026; full row list with sub_ids in _LEDGER_M1.md. https://api.open.fec.gov/v1/schedules/schedule_a/
[^9]: Internal Revenue Service, Tax Exempt Organization Search e-file data, Forms 990-PF for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2024, object IDs 202403379349100410 (Educational Foundation, EIN 93-3962948) and 202413379349100411 (Medical Foundation, EIN 93-3974535), in https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/990/xml/2024/2024_TEOS_XML_12A.zip ; ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer API, EIN 933962948 and 933974535. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/api/v2/organizations/933962948.json
[^10]: Internal Revenue Service, Tax Exempt Organization Search e-file data, Forms 990-PF for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2025, object IDs 202522589349100222 (Educational Foundation) and 202512589349100631 (Medical Foundation), in https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/990/xml/2025/2025_TEOS_XML_09A.zip