Orbital Reef is a proposed low Earth orbit space station being designed by Blue Origin and Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Sierra Space for commercial space activities and space tourism uses. Blue Origin is an American aerospace manufacturer, defense contractor, launch service provider, and space technologies company founded by Jeff Bezos.
Angela Hart, manager of NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program, said in NASA’s announcement: “These milestones are critical to ensuring that a commercial destination can support human life.” The milestones involved passing a series of tests on Orbital Reef’s regenerative system. This system will provide clean air and water for humans to breathe and drink while on the space station,The ISS has a similar system that recycles water and oxygen from, as NASA puts it: “normal human activities.
NASA awarded Blue Origin and Sierra Space $172 million as part of its goal to develop commercialized, American-led space stations in low Earth orbit that could replace the ISS after it retires, BI reported.: “Think spacious modules with large windows to view Earth, our blue origin while experiencing the thrill of weightlessness in complete comfort.”The Biden administration has committed to keep the ISS, which costs $3 billion per year to maintain, running until at least 2030.reported.