Orbital Reef is the name given to the planned low Earth orbit (LEO) space station designed by Blue Origin and Sierra Nevada Corporation's Sierra Space for commercial space activities and space tourism uses. Blue Origin has referred to it as a "mixed-use business park".[1] The companies released preliminary plans on 25 October 2021. The station is being designed to support 10 persons in 830 m3 of volume.[2] The station is supposed to be operational in 2030.[3]
On 2 December 2021, NASA announced it had selected Blue Origin as one of three companies to develop designs of space stations and other commercial destinations in space. Blue Origin was awarded $130 million.[4] These Space Act Agreements are the first phase of two with which NASA aims to maintain an uninterrupted U.S. presence in low-Earth orbit by transitioning from the International Space Station to other platforms.[5]
Blue Origin and Sierra Space have partnered with several companies and institutions to realize the project:[6][7]
Blue Origin: Partner, providing vehicle utility core systems, large-diameter modules, and the reusable heavy-lift New Glenn launch system
Sierra Space: Partner, providing Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE) modules, node modules, and runway-landing Dream Chaser spaceplane for crew and cargo transportation
Boeing: Providing science modules, space station operations and maintenance, and the Starliner crew spacecraft
Redwire Space: Providing payload operations and deployable structures, and support for microgravity research, development, and manufacturing
: Providing the Single Person Spacecraft for routine external operations and tourist excursions
Arizona State University: Providing research advisory services and public outreach through a global consortium of fourteen leading universities
