Louisville-based Sierra Space and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin reached a key milestone with NASA in the development of the Orbital Reef space station, which will replace the International Space Station, according to a news release.

Company officials completed the “System Definition Review” stage of the Orbital Reef, which is being described as a business park in space, the release said.

Colorado-based Sierra Space nabs large NASA contract

Last December, NASA awarded the companies a $130 million contract to design, build and operate Orbital Reef.

The development now moves to the design phase, after the review showed “the space station design is feasible and achievable.” Orbital Reef will operate in low Earth orbit and could be launched in 2027.

Aerospace companies explain Orbital Reef, 'business park in space'

“We are on the doorstep of the most profound industrial revolution in human history. An industrial revolution marked by the transition from the last 60 years of space exploration to a future where humanity extends our factories and cities into space,” said Tom Vice, CEO of Sierra Space, in the release. “It isn’t solely about tourism – it is about unlocking the next great discoveries using the microgravity factories that we will build just 250 miles above the Earth’s surface.

“The microgravity factories and services provided by Orbital Reef have the potential to revolutionize every industry and become a major growth contributor to the U.S. and world economies.”

The review process included testing to ensure the “architecture is responsive to the functional and performance requirements.”

Kent, Wash.-based Blue Origin was launched by Bezos.

Other companies doing work on Orbital Reef include:

• Boeing, which is developing the station’s operations, maintenance and science module, as well as the Starliner crew capsule.
• Redwire Space “leads microgravity research payload development and operations, large deployable structures, and the Orbital Reef digital twin.”
• Genesis Engineering is developing a “single-person spacecraft” for “routine operations and tourist excursions.”

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