Orbital Reef is a planned commercial space station designed to operate in low Earth orbit. It is envisioned as a multi-purpose business park in space, providing a platform for various activities beyond traditional government-led space missions. This station aims to establish a new model for human presence in orbit, shifting towards a commercially owned and operated destination. Its development represents a significant step in expanding the space economy and opening up new opportunities for diverse users.
Core Purpose and Applications
Orbital Reef is designed to support a wide array of activities. It plans to facilitate scientific research, including microgravity experiments, materials science, and life sciences, providing unique conditions for advancements that are not possible on Earth. The station will offer laboratory access with space-based robotics to promote medicine and space biology.
The station also aims to support industrial manufacturing processes that benefit from the microgravity environment. This includes the potential production of specialized materials like fiber optics and semiconductors, which can achieve higher purity or unique properties in space. Orbital Reef intends to host commercial ventures such as space tourism, allowing individuals to experience orbital flight and zero gravity.
The station will also cater to media production. Government missions, both domestic and international, will find a platform on Orbital Reef for various objectives, including technology demonstrations and astronaut training. Orbital Reef seeks to expand the space economy and lower the barriers to entry for various sectors, including seasoned space agencies, high-tech consortia, and even nations without established space programs.
Design and Operational Concepts
The design of Orbital Reef emphasizes a modular architecture, allowing for flexible expansion and customization to meet evolving market demands. The initial configuration is expected to include a Node, a Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE) habitat, a Core module, and a power/thermal Mast. This modularity enables the station to grow by adding more modules, increasing its overall volume and capabilities.
Operational aspects include robust life support systems for a crew of up to 10 persons. Power generation will primarily rely on solar arrays. Communication capabilities will ensure continuous connectivity with Earth.
The station will feature methods for docking various spacecraft, including Blue Origin’s New Glenn, Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane, and Boeing’s Starliner. These docking ports, along with internal and external payload interfaces, will facilitate the transfer of crew, cargo, and scientific experiments. The LIFE habitat, an inflatable 27-by-27-foot structure, will house living and working areas, including science labs, robotics workstations, and crew quarters, providing a pressurized volume of about 300 cubic meters.
Key Collaborators and Development Status
Orbital Reef is a collaborative effort led by Blue Origin and Sierra Space. Blue Origin is responsible for providing utility core systems, large-diameter modules, and the reusable heavy-lift New Glenn launch system. Sierra Space contributes the Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE) module, node modules, and the Dream Chaser spaceplane.
The project involves several other key collaborators. Boeing is contributing science modules and will provide crew and cargo transportation with its Starliner spacecraft. Redwire Space focuses on in-space manufacturing. Genesis Engineering Solutions is developing a single-person spacecraft for suitless extravehicular activity (EVA).
Arizona State University is a partner, addressing the ethics and guidelines of research conducted on Orbital Reef. Amazon and Amazon Web Services are involved in logistics, supply chain management, and cloud services for station development and operations.
The Orbital Reef project has been progressing through various development milestones. NASA awarded Blue Origin a $130 million contract in December 2021 as part of its Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destinations (CLD) program. The team successfully completed its System Requirements Review (SRR) and System Definition Review (SDR).
As of early 2024, Blue Origin has passed several test milestones related to Orbital Reef, with further testing of Sierra Space’s LIFE modules, including burst tests, occurring in summer 2024. While initial projections aimed for operational status by 2027, the station is currently expected to commence operations by the end of this decade, potentially by 2030.