DUBAI: According to a corporate executive, the UAE knows how to construct attractive tourism sites that coincide with Blue Origin’s goal for its newest Orbital Reef project. Blue Origin’s Senior Vice-President, Advanced Development Programs, Brent Sherwood, told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) that his company wants Orbital Reef to be a stand-alone resort in space.
During its participation in the 72nd International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2021), the world’s largest and most important global space event, taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Blue Origin, owned by Jeff Bezos, announced its Orbital Reef private space station project. Between 2025 and 2030, the project is planned to go live. It is intended to serve as a meeting and working space for researchers, industry actors, commercial customers, and foreign partners. Orbital Reef will be able to house roughly 10 people when it launches, with plans to enhance the capacity beyond that number in the future. It will have an internal volume nearly as large as the International Space Station.
Sierra Space is the company’s major station partner. Boeing, Redwire Space, Genesis Engineering Solutions, and Arizona State University are providing technical assistance.
