Blue Origin announces plans to develop space station

KENT, Wash. — Blue Origin and Sierra Space announced Monday they program to make a commercialized abstraction presumption successful debased Earth orbit.

The abstraction presumption volition beryllium called Orbital Reef and the companies accidental it volition commencement operating successful the 2nd fractional of this decade.

The companies accidental Orbital Reef volition beryllium designed to unfastened caller markets successful abstraction by providing anyone with the accidental to found their ain code successful orbit.

Blue Origin and Sierra Space committedness that the abstraction presumption volition connection research, industrial, international, and commercialized customers services they need, including abstraction proscription and logistics, abstraction habitation, instrumentality accommodation, and operations, similar on-board crew.

“For implicit 60 years, NASA and different abstraction agencies person developed orbital abstraction formation and abstraction habitation, mounting america up for commercialized concern to instrumentality disconnected successful this decade,” said Brent Sherwood, Senior Vice President of Advanced Development Programs for Blue Origin successful a statement. “We volition grow access, little the cost, and supply each the services and amenities needed to normalize abstraction flight. A vibrant concern ecosystem volition turn successful debased Earth orbit, generating caller discoveries, caller products, caller entertainments, and planetary awareness.”

The International Space Station (ISS) already exists successful debased Earth orbit, but officials accidental the intent of the Orbital Reef is different. The companies picture the Orbital Reef arsenic a “mixed-use concern park” successful space.

“This is breathtaking for america due to the fact that this task does not duplicate the immensely palmy and enduring ISS, but alternatively goes a measurement further to fulfill a unsocial presumption successful debased Earth orbit wherever it tin service a divers array of companies and big non-specialist crews,” said John Mulholland, Boeing VP and programme manager for the International Space Station. “It calls for the aforesaid benignant of expertise we utilized to archetypal plan and past physique the International Space Station and the aforesaid skills we employment each time to operate, support and prolong the ISS.”

Blue Origin is owned by erstwhile Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. The institution says it’s moving to marque it imaginable for millions of radical to unrecorded and enactment successful abstraction to payment Earth. They privation to summation entree to abstraction done reusable rockets.

Blue Origin is besides successful the abstraction tourism market. Its latest motorboat had “Star Trek” histrion William Shatner connected board.