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December 7, 2021

Blue Origin to design space station

By JOURNAL STAFF

SEATTLE — NASA has awarded Blue Origin a $130 million contract to develop its Orbital Reef space station. Designs and plans for Orbital Reef were released earlier this year. The project is developed by Blue Origin in partnership with a Sierra Nevada Corp. subsidiary called Sierra Space, Boeing, Redwire Space, Genesis Engineer and Arizona State University. Orbital Reef would be the world's first private space station and serve as a space for both businesses and space tourists. The award will cover around 40% of projected design costs. Blue Origin is one of three teams selected to share $415.6 million in design contracts. The international space station is approved to operate through the end of 2024, with a likely lifespan extension to the end of 2028. The Puget Sound Business Journal reports that Phil McAlister, NASA's director of commercial spaceflight, said that these commercial partnerships will enable NASA to focus on its crewed Artemis missions to the moon, while working to ensure a continuous U.S. presence in low-Earth orbit.


 
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