The business of space stations built and put into orbit by private individuals is starting. Following the announcement made by a consortium of three US companies, including Lockeed Martin, who said they intend to launch a private space station by 2027 (which we talked about in the Start podcast on Saturday, October 23), it is now the the turn of Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, which presented a first space station project, the name of which will be Orbital Reef.
Orbital Reef will have dimensions comparable to that of the ISS (International Space Station), retired in a few years, and will be built by a consortium of companies. In addition to Blue Origin which will take care of utility systems, large diameter main modules and the reusable New Glenn launch system for heavy loads, Sierra Space will also participate, with the module for the return of astronauts and cargo that can land in a normal airport; Boeing with the science module and the Starliner spacecraft to carry astronauts and equipment on board; Redwire Space, which will manage microgravity and deployable structures such as solar panels; Genesis Engineering Solutions, which will deal with the construction of a single-seat spacecraft, coupled with movable arms to Orbital Reef, for external maintenance operations and tourist excursions. Instead, Arizona State University will lead a consortium of universities to provide research advisory services and outreach to prospective clients.
Orbital Reef open to business and space tourism
In short, the project was born in a big way, and has not only scientific purposes, but also business and tourism ones. Orbital Reef will be able to accommodate up to 10 people at the same time, will be placed in low earth orbit, the same as the ISS, will have a volume of around 1,000 cubic meters, and can also be used for projects that could give a further boost to the space business. , hosting researchers from private companies interested in discovering the practical possibilities of a zero gravity R&D laboratory. For example, a company called Redwire is working on building a 3D printing system that can be used directly on board the station, which could one day make it easier to produce objects and structures in space without having to send them from Earth.
Another novelty will be the internal architecture of Orbital Reef, which will be more similar to that of a common aircraft rather than that of the ISS, full of exposed cables and equipment on sight.
Nice intentions, but …
However, a lot of work still needs to be done. For example, New Glenn, the Blue Origin-designed rocket that is supposed to be large and powerful enough to carry the largest parts of the space station into orbit, is not yet operational and its maiden flight was recently delayed at least until the end of 2022. Spacecraft that could be used to transport people to the space station are also still under development. Boeing’s Starliner, the capsule that is supposed to carry astronauts and cargoes into orbit, has yet to make its first real test flight, scheduled for around mid-next year.