The space company of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is going to build a commercial space station. Blue Origin will collaborate with industry peer Sierra Space for this.
The space station, dubbed Orbital Reef, should be in orbit and fully operational by the second half of this decade, Blue Origin announced in a press release on Monday.
According to Blue Origin, anyone will be able to travel to the space station if they pay for it. The company mentions in a press release from researchers, but also from commercial customers. “Seasoned space agencies, high-tech consortia, countries with no space programs, media and travel companies, entrepreneurs and investors all have a place in Orbital Reef,” said a Blue Origin press release. That still describes the space station as a ‘mixed-use business park’.
There is also talk of a Single Person Spacecraft, a spacecraft with which tourists can make trips into space. Blue Origin is fully committed to space tourism to recoup part of its launches. Recently, Bezos has been going into space himself. Blue Origin also took actor William Shatner, Captain James T. Kirk from Star Trek into space. The company wants to gain brand awareness and attract more wealthy people who want to go into space.
The construction of the space station is also supported by aircraft and aerospace company Boeing, among others. In addition, the American University of Arizona State University is involved in the project.