Orbital Reef: Blue Origin Unveils Plans for ‘Business Park’ in Space

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin along with its five other partners on Monday unveiled a plan to develop a commercial space station named Orbital Reef.

Defined as a “mixed use business park” in space, it will have the capacity to host up to 10 people in space, according to Blue Origin’s detailed explanation.

A new project in space: Orbital Reef

The space tourism company will come together with Redwire Space, Genesis Engineering Solutions, and Arizona State University to deploy Orbital Reef in the second half of this decade, which means sometime from 2025 to 2030. Blue Origin declined to comment on the cost of building the space station during a press conference.

Operating for more than 20 years in space, recent air leaks on the International Space Station (ISS) have raised questions about the future of the outpost, which is planned to be disabled by 2030.

Meanwhile, Russia plans to leave the ISS in 2024, planning to build a lunar space station with China. The two countries have already signed an agreement to set up research facilities on the Moon’s surface.

In light of these developments concerning the International Space Station, NASA aims to partner with private corporations to build orbital stations.

[irp posts=”1589″ name=”China and Russia announce plan to build lunar space station”]

“We will expand access, lower the cost, and provide all the services and amenities needed to normalize space flight,” said Brent Sherwood, Senior Vice President of Advanced Development Programs for Blue Origin.

“A vibrant business ecosystem will grow in low Earth orbit, generating new discoveries, new products, new entertainments, and global awareness.”

Orbital Reef

What to know about Orbital Reef?

As a “space business park,” Orbital Reef will “provide the essential infrastructure needed to scale economic activity and open new markets in space,” reads the statement.

Orbital Reef will be designed to open “multiple new markets” in space and will provide people visiting the space station an opportunity to create their own address there.

Activities in separate areas such as “film-making in microgravity”, conducting “cutting-edge research” and even a “space hotel” will be among the services. Cost will be minimized for space operators by means of reusable space transportation.

Blue Origin hails the project, saying the space station will have an “open system architecture” allowing visitors from different nations to use the structure. A visitor list to the Orbital Reef was announced, including space agencies, media, travel and high-tech companies, inventors and investors, according to Bezos’ spaceflight venture.

To add more, Orbital Reef experts spoke of the aforementioned initiative at the International Astronautical Congress in Dubai.

Our expert team shared more about #OrbitalReef at #IAC2021 discussing the exciting future the #LEOecosystem will open for us all. #AddressinOrbit pic.twitter.com/FIUtyxrOMJ

— Orbital Reef (@OrbitalReef) October 26, 2021