Blue Origin to build commercial space station

Blue Origin, a space company founded by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has announced plans to build a commercial space station called Orbital Reef.

Orbitalif is a facility that can be used commercially, such as research and development, tourism, and film production in outer space, and aims to start operation in the late 2020s. Blue Origin is focusing on commercial services, including space travel. In July 2021, Bezos, the founder, achieved space travel aboard the Blue Origin spacecraft, and in October, actor William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk, Star Trek. It has attracted attention, such as conducting space travel.

On October 25, 2021, Blue Origin announced plans to build a commercial space station Orbitalef in cooperation with Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), an aircraft and space development company, and sierraspace, a space development company. Orbitalif, which orbits low-Earth orbit, provides the end-to-end services and technical support needed by novices in space travel, facilitating the growth of new ecosystems and business models in outer space.

Blue Origin said that for more than 60 years, space agencies, including NASA, have been developing orbital spaceflight and habitation. It will provide services to generalize space travel, and a vibrant business ecosystem will grow on orbit, generating new discoveries, products, entertainment and global awareness.

In addition to these companies, Orbitalif is receiving support from space development-related companies and universities such as Boeing, Red Wire Space, Genesis Engineering Solutions, and Arizona State University. In addition to manufacturing scalable residential modules, Boeing will be in charge of orbital leaf operation and maintenance, while Red Wirespace and Genesis Engineering Solutions will manufacture solar arrays and small spacecraft for outboard activities.

According to the Blue Origin announcement, Orbitalif is scheduled to start operation in late 2020 with a baseline configuration consisting of a power system, a core module, a residence module, a module for scientific research, and a spacecraft for outboard activities. The internal volume of the ^{baseline configuration is 830 m 3 ,} and the orbitalif baseline configuration is smaller than this, but the orbitalif continues to expand by connecting additional modules.

Orbital Reef has large windows facing the Earth, so travelers can comfortably enjoy the microgravity space while looking at the beautiful Earth. Its orbit is 500 km, slightly higher than the ISS, and sailors are said to be able to see sunrise and sunset 16 times a day.

Commercially developed, owned, and operated as a multi-purpose business park in outer space, Orbital Peak provides low-orbit addresses that can be used or rented by anyone, providing services necessary for business such as transportation of goods, power, cooling facilities, high-bandwidth communications, and security. will be sold Blue Origin said that under microgravity in Orbital Leaf, businesses that fit the user’s vision, such as movie production and space hotel sales, are possible.

Orbitalif also provides a large laboratory for basic research and application development, rental of technicians working in outer space, and dedicated closed hatch modules. explains that it is true.

Commercial space development in low orbit is accelerating, with Nanoracks, Voyager Space and Lockheed Martin announcing plans to build a private space station, Starlab, a few days before Blue Origin’s announcement of Orbitalif. is becoming

The ISS, which has been used as a manned test facility for several years, has recently been pointed out that aging is progressing. For Russia, which said it would withdraw from the ISS in 2024, the U.S. is proposing to extend its operation until 2030, but after that, it is expected that the civilian space station will take over the role. NASA announced its commercial low-Earth orbit development CLD program in July 2021 and announced that it would provide funding for commercial space station development to two to four operators, so Orbitalif ultimately wants to secure NASA funding. do. Related information can be found here.