Boeing, Blue Origin Unveil Plans for Private Space Station

Boeing and Blue Origin announced plans Monday to develop a private space station that would operate as a private “mixed-use business park.

Meg Scarbrough

Monday, October 25, 2021 at 08:39 PM ET

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Blue Origin has announced efforts to launch a private, commercial space station in partnership with Boeing and other companies.Credit: Blue Origin

Key Takeaways:

Boeing and Blue Origin, in collaboration with Sierra Space, are developing "Orbital Reef," a private space station designed as a "mixed-use business park."
Orbital Reef will offer services for commercial research, manufacturing, and tourism, accommodating up to 10 people with operations projected to begin in the second half of this decade.
This project is one of several private commercial space station initiatives, aligning with NASA's strategy to encourage industry development as the International Space Station nears retirement.

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Boeing and Blue Origin announced plans Monday to develop a private space station that would operate as a private “mixed-use business park.” If completed, the installation would be the first collaboration of its kind to orbit the planet.

Multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos, who founded Blue Origin, said the outpost—called Orbital Reef—will be a commercially developed, owned, and operated space station floating in low Earth orbit. As a mixed-use business park, the company said it could be used for commercial research, manufacturing, and tourism.