Blue Origin and Sierra Space Partnership for Orbital Reef Space Station in Jeopardy
The partnership between Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Sierra Space for the development of the Orbital Reef space station is facing challenges, according to sources. Orbital Reef was announced as a joint project in 2021, but updates have been scarce in the past year. Both private space companies are now focusing on other projects, such as Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lunar lander and Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane, which have taken priority. It is likely that Blue Origin and Sierra Space will part ways, potentially ending the Orbital Reef partnership.
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Blue Origin secured a $130 million contract from NASA for design work on the private space station shortly after unveiling the Orbital Reef project. Sierra is a subcontractor under this NASA award. According to a statement from NASA, Blue Origin has received $24 million for completing specified milestones, and there are currently no plans to transfer the agreement.
While Sierra Space did not provide a comment on Orbital Reef, Blue Origin stated on social media that it is making progress on its Commercial Destinations Space Act Agreement with NASA.
Orbital Reef Erosion
Orbital Reef, envisioned as a mixed-use business park in space, was introduced by Blue Origin and Sierra Space. The companies aimed to launch the first major components of the space station by 2027, coinciding with the retirement of the International Space Station. Blue Origin’s long-term vision is to enable millions of people to live and work in space for the benefit of Earth. Sierra has been developing its habitat concept, known as LIFE (Large Integrated Flexible Environment), for years.
Other companies, including Axiom, Voyager Space, Northrop Grumman, and Vast, are also working on building private space stations. The Orbital Reef team includes Boeing, Redwire, Amazon, Genesis Engineering Solutions, and Arizona State University.
Orbital Reef is not a top priority for Blue Origin or Sierra Space. Blue Origin’s focus has shifted to its $3.4 billion NASA contract for building a crew lunar lander, which competes for resources within the same business unit as the space station. Sierra Space is primarily devoted to the development of its Dream Chaser spaceplane for cargo missions to the International Space Station.
Signs of the Orbital Reef project unraveling include the lack of updates on the project’s website, the absence of job openings related to Orbital Reef on both companies’ career websites, and Sierra Space’s exclusion of Orbital Reef in recent press releases.
Changes in project structure and company involvement during the initial phases are not uncommon in the space industry. Sierra continues to test and develop its LIFE habitat concept, with plans to launch a demonstration mission in 2026.
