Blue Origin and Sierra Space today announced plans for Orbital Reef, a
commercially developed, owned, and operated space station to be built in low
Earth orbit. The station will open the next chapter of human space
exploration and development by facilitating the growth of a vibrant
ecosystem and business model for the future. Orbital Reef is backed by space
industry leaders and teammates including Boeing, Redwire Space, Genesis
Engineering Solutions, and Arizona State University.
Designed to open multiple new markets in space, Orbital Reef will provide
anyone with the opportunity to establish their own address on orbit. This
unique destination will offer research, industrial, international, and
commercial customers the cost competitive end-to-end services they need
including space transportation and logistics, space habitation, equipment
accommodation, and operations including onboard crew. The station will start
operating in the second half of this decade.
Orbital Reef will be operated as a “mixed use business park” in space.
Shared infrastructure efficiently supports the proprietary needs of diverse
tenants and visitors. It features a human-centered space architecture with
world-class services and amenities that is inspiring, practical, and safe.
As the premier commercial destination in low Earth orbit, Orbital Reef will
provide the essential infrastructure needed to scale economic activity and
open new markets in space. Reusable space transportation and smart design,
accompanied by advanced automation and logistics, will minimize cost and
complexity for both traditional space operators and new arrivals, allowing
the widest range of users to pursue their goals. The open system
architecture allows any customer or nation to link up and scale to support
demand. Module berths, vehicle ports, utilities, and amenities all increase
as the market grows.
The Orbital Reef business model makes it easy for customers and is
strategically designed to support a diverse portfolio of uses. The team has
all the services and systems to meet the needs of emergent customers,
including researchers, manufacturers, and visitors. Orbital Reef offers
standard interfaces at all levels – locker, rack, and module. Seasoned space
agencies, high-tech consortia, sovereign nations without space programs,
media and travel companies, funded entrepreneurs and sponsored inventors,
and future-minded investors all have a place on Orbital Reef.
The Orbital Reef team of experts brings proven capabilities and new visions
to provide key elements and services, including unique experience from
building and operating the International Space Station:
- Blue Origin – Utility systems, large-diameter core modules, and reusable heavy-lift New Glenn launch system.
- Sierra Space - Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE) module, node module, and runway-landing Dream Chaser spaceplane for crew and cargo transportation, capable of landing on runways worldwide.
- Boeing – Science module, station operations, maintenance engineering, and Starliner crew spacecraft.
- Redwire Space – Microgravity research, development, and manufacturing; payload operations and deployable structures.
- Genesis Engineering Solutions – Single Person Spacecraft for routine operations and tourist excursions.
- Arizona State University – Leads a global consortium of universities providing research advisory services and public outreach.
“For over sixty years, NASA and other space agencies have developed orbital
space flight and space habitation, setting us up for commercial business to
take off in this decade,” said Brent Sherwood, Senior Vice President of
Advanced Development Programs for Blue Origin. “We will expand access, lower
the cost, and provide all the services and amenities needed to normalize
space flight. A vibrant business ecosystem will grow in low Earth orbit,
generating new discoveries, new products, new entertainments, and global
awareness.”
“Sierra Space is thrilled to partner with Blue Origin and provide the Dream
Chaser spaceplane, the LIFE module and additional space technologies to open
up space for commercial research, manufacturing, and tourism. As a former
NASA astronaut, I’ve been waiting for the moment where working and living in
space is accessible to more people worldwide, and that moment has arrived,”
said Dr. Janet Kavandi, former three time NASA astronaut and Sierra Space
president.
“This is exciting for us because this project does not duplicate the
immensely successful and enduring ISS, but rather goes a step further to
fulfill a unique position in low Earth orbit where it can serve a diverse
array of companies and host non-specialist crews,” said John Mulholland,
Boeing VP and program manager for the International Space Station. “It calls
for the same kind of expertise we used to first design and then build the
International Space Station and the same skills we employ every day to
operate, maintain and sustain the ISS.”
“The Orbital Reef represents the next evolution of the commercial space
paradigm by creating the first ever crewed private sector platform in low
Earth orbit. The Orbital Reef will carry forward the singular legacy of the
ISS, supporting innovative microgravity research, development, and
manufacturing activities which will advance fields as diverse as
communications and biotechnology,” said Mike Gold, Executive Vice President
for Civil Space and External Affairs at Redwire. “The microgravity
environment presents an entirely new arena for commercial and scientific
development, making Orbital Reef the platform that will launch new
technologies and capabilities dramatically improving life on Earth while
enabling humanity’s journey to the stars.”
“The Single Person Spacecraft will transform space walking,” said Brand
Griffin, Program Manager for Genesis Engineering Solutions. “Space workers
and tourists alike will have safe, comfortable, and quick access outside
Orbital Reef. Shirtsleeve environment, great visibility, automated guidance,
and advanced precision manipulators will make external operations
cost-effective and routine.”
“ASU’s Interplanetary Initiative is honored to be leading the university
consortium that is supporting Orbital Reef,” said Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Vice
President of ASU’s Interplanetary Initiative and Principal Investigator of
the NASA Psyche mission. “We’ve brought together an international group of
more than a dozen universities to work on the ethics and guidelines of
research — on how we can bring to bear all our expertise in science and
research and manufacturing in low gravity, to help nations, corporations and
groups that want access to Orbital Reef. It’s about collectively believing
in our future and bringing science and engineering to bear on a better
future – hugely exciting.”
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