Jeff Bezos is still unsatisfied with 10-minute tourist flights to the edge of space. He now wants to take a significant leap forward and create his commercial space station with a business park in low-Earth orbit.
Blue Origin, the spaceflight firm Bezos made in 2000, announced the ambitious proposal on Monday, October 25, at the International Astronautical Congress in Dubai.
NPR said Blue Origin's orbiting outpost, named Orbital Reef, will welcome personnel worldwide and be utilized to conduct research experiments in microgravity, similar to the International Space Station (ISS).
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA - AUGUST 31: Storm clouds and a rainbow appear over Jeff Bezos Blue Origin Aerospace Manufacturer building as Hurricane Dorian approaches Florida, on August 31, 2019, in Cape Canaveral, Florida
Blue Origin Wants to Build a Space Station
The company's sleek video embedded below hints that the station would also serve as an in-space manufacturing facility and provide lodging for space travelers as part of an "exotic hospitality" service, as Blue Origin describes it.
Blue Origin is not doing it alone. Reuters said the Colorado-based Sierra Space and aerospace behemoth Boeing, among others, are teaming together to help build a space-based "mixed-use corporate park."
Orbital Reef would be around the same size as the International Space Station and could hold up to ten people at a time. With the ISS already 20 years old and set to be decommissioned over the next ten years, Blue Origin's facility would arrive in time to replace the aging satellite, with deployment slated for the end of the decade.
Blue Origin to Fill a Unique Role
Boeing VP and program manager for the International Space Station John Mulholland said in an Airline Ratings report that Blue Origin's idea is an interesting initiative. He explained that they are taking a step further to fulfill a unique role in low Earth orbit where it can serve a varied variety of enterprises and host non-specialist people.
However, bringing Orbital Reef to life will be difficult. The obvious one is cost, with neither Blue Origin nor Sierra Space having provided an estimate of how they might require many billions of dollars to reach their common goal. Some of the financing might come from NASA, reviewing bids for an ISS successor from various corporations. On the other hand, Blue Origin looks determined to carry out its mission with or without NASA's assistance.
Blue Origin has also failed to make an orbital trip, with its single-stage New Shepard rocket only getting as far as the Kármán line, 62 miles above Earth, before crashing down to Earth minutes later. However, the corporation is planning the first test launch of New Glenn, its first orbital rocket, for next year. Because New Glenn is a heavy-lift rocket, it might launch Orbital Reef portions into orbit.
How This New Space Station Works
Blue Origin said in a statement that they are planning to provide "an end-to-end service." These services include "transport and logistics, leased space for any purpose, support with system hardware development, robotic and crew-tended operations and servicing, and habitation amenities."
Experienced clients will be able to "easily link up their modules using standard interfaces," while newcomers will have access to specialized assistance to help them achieve their goals, according to the company.
Orbital Reef extends access, decreases costs, and delivers everything you need to run your business in space. Blue Origin added that the new plan would serve as a rising business ecosystem in Earth orbit will open the door to fresh discoveries, unimagined goods, and new kinds of entertainment, as well as create a new degree of global awareness."
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