Blue Origin and Sierra Space unveil plans for commercial space station

Blue Origin and Sierra Space are leading development of a privately-funded space station known as "Orbital Reef" to provide a commercial destination in low-Earth orbit after the International Space Station is retired, officials announced Monday.

Speaking at the International Astronautical Congress in Dubai, Brent Sherwood, senior vice president of Advanced Development Programs for Blue Origin, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, said an initial version of the outpost will be flying before 2030. It would be built in partnership with Boeing, Redwire Space, Genesis Engineering and Arizona State University.

"The International Space Station ... is nearing retirement," he said. "Going forward, the demand for research will continue, and demand from new sectors must grow. The supply will be commercial, not governmental. Now, private investment can test the validity of commercial orbital markets."