NASA Picks Orbital Reef to Develop New Space Station

The goal is to create a commercial space station to replace the International Space Station by 2030.

Jeremy Kariuki

Thursday, December 02, 2021 at 06:31 PM ET

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The goal of Orbital Reef is to create a “mixed-use business park” in space. Credit: Blue Origin

Key Takeaways:

NASA has selected Orbital Reef, a project led by Blue Origin and Sierra Space, as the commercially owned and operated successor to the International Space Station (ISS) in low-Earth orbit.
Expected to be operational before the ISS's planned retirement in 2030, Orbital Reef is envisioned as a "mixed-use business park" to make space more accessible and affordable for diverse customers and industries.
The Orbital Reef team includes key partners such as Boeing, Redwire Space, Genesis Engineering Solutions, and Arizona State University, each contributing specific expertise to its development and operations.

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NASA has selected Orbital Reef as the successor to the International Space Station (ISS).

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, alongside Sierra Space, were picked by NASA to design a commercially owned and operated space station in low-Earth orbit (LEO). The move, announced Thursday, comes as NASA hopes to stimulate research and exploration before the retirement of the ISS, expected in 2030.