Blue Origin Restructures Partnership for Commercial Space Station

Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos, is undergoing significant changes in its corporate partnership to build a commercial space station. The company has reassigned a majority of its employees working on the Orbital Reef project, a joint venture with Sierra Space, to other programs such as Blue Origin’s moon lander contract with NASA and a secretive “space mobility” project. This move comes as Blue Origin adapts to more urgent priorities and injects a sense of urgency into its operations.

The shakeup within the Orbital Reef team highlights the challenges faced by the industry in developing a private replacement for the aging International Space Station (ISS). The partnership between Blue Origin and Sierra Space, which aimed to create a “business park in space,” has encountered disagreements and feuding between the companies’ managements. However, Sierra Space will reportedly remain a partner on Orbital Reef, although the exact capacity is yet to be disclosed.

Brent Sherwood, the head of Blue Origin’s Advanced Development Programs overseeing Orbital Reef, is expected to leave the company by the end of the year. Blue Origin stated that Sherwood is retiring. Additionally, Amazon.com executive Dave Limp will replace Blue Origin’s current CEO by the end of the year, as Bezos seeks to bring a renewed sense of urgency to the company.

Blue Origin’s suborbital tourist rocket, New Shepard, has been grounded for over a year following an accident in 2022. Delays have also been encountered in the development of the larger rocket, New Glenn, which is crucial for Blue Origin’s entry into Earth’s orbit.

With the ISS set to retire around 2030, NASA is funding Orbital Reef and three other early proposals as part of its Artemis program. The agency plans to provide additional funding for one or two space station proposals in 2026. However, concerns have been raised about the tight deadline and the potential market dominance of China’s national space station if the ISS is retired without a private replacement in place.

Blue Origin is expected to continue working on its own version of a space station without Sierra Space, although specific plans have not been disclosed. The company has not notified NASA of any changes in the partnership, as required by its contract. The future of the Blue Origin-Sierra Space partnership remains uncertain, and the industry is closely watching the developments in the private space station sector.

In conclusion, Blue Origin’s restructuring of its partnership for the commercial space station reflects the company’s shifting priorities and the challenges faced by the industry in replacing the aging International Space Station. The changes within Blue Origin’s leadership and the reassignment of employees demonstrate the company’s commitment to adapt and pursue its ambitious space exploration goals.