Monday, October 25, 2021
“Orbital Reef”
Bezos wants to build a private space station
Blue Origin has already made it to the limit of space. But Jeff Bezos’ company still has big plans. Now it announces that it is planning a private space station. This should be a little smaller than the ISS and be available to businesses for research.
The space company Blue Origin of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos wants to set up a private space station in space in the coming years. “For over sixty years NASA and other space agencies have developed orbital space travel and space colonization, paving the way for commercial business to take off in this decade,” said Brent Sherwood, Managing Director.
The space station will therefore be called “Orbital Reef” and be used by traders in space to research weightlessness, for example. The project is a joint venture with commercial space company Sierra Space and is supported by Boeing and Arizona State University.
“Orbital Reef“According to an advertising brochure from Blue Origin, it will fly at an altitude of 500 kilometers, a little above the International Space Station ISS. With a volume of 830 cubic meters, it would be slightly smaller than the ISS.
“Provide all amenities”
Ten residents would have space in the station and, according to the advertising brochure, could experience 32 sunrises and sunsets a day in futuristic modules with large windows. “We will expand access, reduce costs, and provide all of the services and amenities required to normalize space travel,” said Sherwood.
Blue Origin is currently able to fly into suborbital space with its New Shepard rocket. In mid-October, the company brought “Star Trek” actor William Shatner into space, accompanied by great media hype.
Other planned projects include a rocket that can put cargo and people into orbit, and a lunar module. However, the company has lost the moon contract to competitor SpaceX from Tesla founder Elon Musk. In addition, the company Virgin Galactic of the British entrepreneur Richard Branson offers flights into space.