Google, Inc. has entered into an agreement with NASA at its Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California.  Google will lease 42.2 open acres at NASA Ames for up to $146 million over a 40-year term. Google plans to build a new high-tech campus business center as part of its Phase One operations near the end of 2013, consisting of 1.2 million square feet of offices for its staff, which currently numbers 20,000 employees.

NASA Ames will be responsible for the construction.  When construction is completed, the facility will cover about 2 percent of the total 1,800 acres at NASA Ames. Phase Two will start in 2018, and Phase Three in 2022. The new Google facilities will be used for office space, research and development and laboratory space.  Google has an option as part of the lease to extend the lease deal another 50 years after the 40-year term.

Google currently pays NASA about $1.3 billion per year for the space to house and land four corporate jets (including a Boeing 747) at nearby Moffett Field as part of a deal negotiated last year.  NASA Ames has joint use of the aircraft for research, which helps defray government costs as well as aid in aviation research and development.

NASA is also reportedly in discussions with several nearby universities to build an educational campus at its Ames location. These include the University of California, Santa Clara University, Foothill College and Carnegie Mellon University.