Amid a year of ground-breaking developments in spaceflight, including the all-civilian Inspiration4 mission and the first helocopter flight on Mars, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is teaming up with Sierra Space to build their own space station, dubbed Orbital Reef, that should be in operation in just a few years. The station will open the next chapter of human space exploration and development by facilitating the growth of a vibrant ecosystem and business model for the future.
Jeff Bezos’ spaceflight venture Blue Origin announced the endeavor Monday, saying they planned to build a commercially developed, owned and operated low orbiting space station. The private sector has already demonstrated that it can launch cargo, and more recently, crew to the ISS.? Developing, deploying and operating a LEO space station represents the next logical step for the commercial space companies.
This seems to be a far better play for Blue Origin. They need to not focus on trying to beat SpaceX for launch services. They can get whatever government revenue there is from being a secondary option. Even a secondary launch option is not certain because Rocketlab is ahead for orbital launches. Rocketlab is still small launchers. Blue Origin might be able to get second option launches. Focusing on space stations and colonization and space industry is a better choice. Peter Thiel and Varda Space are going for Space manufacturing.
Obital Reef will offer an assortment of customers including research facilities, industrial and other customers the cost-competitive end-to-end services they need in space, including transportation and logistics, habitation, equipment accommodation, and operations, including onboard crew.
The Orbital Reef project in partnership with spaceflight company Sierra Space, a subsidiary of the Sierra Nevada Corporation. Sierra Space’s most well-known project is the Dream Chaser, a winged spaceplane designed to carry cargo to the ISS. Dream Chaser is scheduled to begin flights in 2022. Blue Origin says that Orbital Reef also has the backing of additional spaceflight teammates, Boeing, Genesis Engineering Solutions, Redwire Space and Arizona State University.
The commercial station's elements are planned to be launched by the New Glenn rocket currently under development, while the Boeing Starliner is planned to provide crew transportation services to the station. Sierra Space is planned to provide node and LIFE (Large Integrated Flexible Environment) modules as well as the Dream Chaser spacecraft for cargo and eventually crew transport.
The Orbital Reef business model makes it easy for customers and is strategically designed to support a diverse portfolio of uses and will be operated as a “mixed use business park” in space.
"The microgravity environment presents an entirely new arena for commercial and scientific development, making Orbital Reef the platform that will launch new technologies and capabilities dramatically improving life on Earth while enabling humanity's journey to the stars,” said Mike Gold, Executive Vice President for Civil Space and External Affairs at Redwire.
Assessing the initial CGI, the Orbital Reef station appears to show three central modules containing large windows and docking ports, with a Dream Chaser and multiple Boeing Starliners docked, along with six additional modules for science or other purposes attached to the sides. A truss with four radiators is mounted on the underside of the station core modules, along with eight pairs of large solar arrays.
In its planned fully developed configuration, the station will feature separate science and habitation zones, around 90% of the internal volume of the ISS (830 cubic meters) as well as a crew of ten. Planned uses for this station include space tourism, manufacturing, and microgravity research.
The company’s LIFE (Large Integrated Flexible Environment) Habitats stand out from other space habitats for their unique inflatable structures. Sierra Space assures that its inflatable structures are developed and tested to meet NASA micrometeoroid impact requirements. Sierra Space adds that their inflatable outside layer is known as “the restrain layer” is made out of a Vectran fabric weave, and can not only withstand internal pressures necessary to sustain life but is “stronger than steel.” The fabric and the internal outfitting are also designed to withstand radiation above the Karman line. The station will have a configuration of multiple expandable LIFE habitats that can be serviced by both cargo- and crew-carrying Dream Chaser spaceplanes and Boeing Starliners.
An interesting alternative to space suits for spacewalks, the Single Person Spacecraft, will be developed by Genesis Engineering Solutions. The "suit" is designed for servicing and exploration of the ISS, NEOs and satellites and it can be piloted or controlled remotely.
"The Single-Person Spacecraft will transform spacewalking," said Brand Griffin, Program Manager for Genesis Engineering Solutions. "Space workers and tourists alike will have safe, comfortable, and quick access outside Orbital Reef. Shirtsleeve environment, great visibility, automated guidance, and advanced precision manipulators will make external operations cost-effective and routine."
In a conference call with reporters, executives representing the companies of the team declined to specify how much each expect to invest in Orbital Reef. Monday's announcement came just four days after Nanoracks, Voyager Space and Lockheed Martin unveiled plans for their own private station, called Starlab. And Houston company Axiom Space had previously announced its intention to launch modules to the ISS beginning in 2024, then eventually detach them and operate them as a free-flying commercial outpost.
It would appear the race to commercialize LOE is finally underway. This has been NASA's goal for the past two decades. Allowing private companies to take the reigns, when it comes to transport and infrastructure, so it as an organisation can focus on exploring Moon and Mars. Wether these companies can compete with Elon Musks SpaceX is yet to be seen.
