Orbital Reef is a futuristic space station being developed by Blue Origin and Sierra Space, with plans to serve as a mixed-use business park, science lab, and tourist hotel. The station is designed to float in low-Earth orbit and is expected to be fully operational by 2030, with parts potentially operational as soon as 2027. Blue Origin aims to reduce the costs associated with living and working in space to make it more accessible for all. The station will be modular, allowing for customization and expansion over time to add additional living quarters, viewing decks, or research labs.
Nasa is providing significant funding for Orbital Reef and recently completed tests for the station’s life support system, which is crucial for supporting human life in space. The station is expected to have a similar life support system to the International Space Station (ISS), including recycling and reclamation of water and oxygen. Nasa astronauts will be able to continue conducting important scientific research in low Earth orbit using the facilities provided by Orbital Reef. The station is also seen as a potential replacement for the ISS, as Elon Musk’s SpaceX is due to bring the ISS down in 2031, ending its 32-year mission.
The Orbital Reef space station is being designed to function like a giant business park in space, providing a new address in orbit for businesses, research labs, and tourism opportunities. Blue Origin and Sierra Space aim to make it cheaper to do business in space and unlock the potential for major growth and discoveries using the microgravity factories and services provided by Orbital Reef. The station will be located over the South Pacific Oceanic Uninhabited Area, an ultra-remote sea region known as Point Nemo, where space debris eventually ends up. It is expected to support docking for various types of spacecraft, allowing research to continue in low-Earth orbit.
Sierra Space’s Tom Vice envisions Orbital Reef as part of the most profound industrial revolution in human history, marking a transition from the past 60 years of space exploration to a future where humanity extends factories and cities into space. The station is not only about tourism but also about unlocking the next great discoveries and revolutionizing every industry through the microgravity factories and services provided in space. Orbital Reef is expected to open the next chapter of human space exploration and become a major growth contributor to the U.S. and world economies. It is designed to provide a truly extraordinary experience for those in orbit, whether for research, logistics, tourism, or other applications.
