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Recent News

March 7, 2023

LOWERING COST OF SPACE TRAVEL Read More


February 17, 2023

VMS EVE TAKES FLIGHT!! Read More


August 2, 2022

COMING SOON!! ASTRONAUT CAMPUS & TRAINING FACILITY Read More


July 27, 2022

SPACE PERSPECTIVE UNVEILS PATENTED CAPSULE DESIGN Read More


July 6, 2022

VIRGIN GALACTIC ANNOUNCES NEXT GENERATION MOTHERSHIPS Read More


April 12, 2022

SPACE PERSPECTIVE UNVAILS IMAGES OF BALLOON CAPSULE Read More


October 25, 2021

BLUE ORIGIN & SIERRA SPACE DEVELOP SPACE STATION Read More


October 8, 2021

BLUE ORIGIN ASTRONAUT TRAINS WITH DEPREZ TRAVEL Read More


October 1, 2021

DEPREZ CHARTERS ZERO-G AIRCRAFT TO ROCHESTER Read More


August 5, 2021

VIRGIN GALACTIC ANNOUNCES Q2 FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR 2021 Read More


July 15, 2021

DEPREZ TRAVEL AND RMSC ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP Read More


July 15, 2021

MUSK BOOKED SEAT ON VIRGIN GALACTIC Read More


June 25, 2021

FAA OK'S VIRGIN GALACTIC TO LAUNCH CUSTOMERS TO SPACE Read More


June 18, 2021

SPACE PERSPECTIVE CONFIRMS SUCCESSFUL TEST FLIGHT Read More


May 22, 2021

VIRGIN GALACTIC'S FIRST HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT FROM NM Read More


February 25, 2021

VIRGIN GALACTIC ANNOUNCES Q4 HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2020 Read More


November 23, 2020

MEET PILOT CJ STURCKOW Read More


October 27, 2020

VIRGIN GALACTIC HIRES 2 NEW PILOTS Read More


June 22, 2020

VIRGIN GALACTIC SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH NASA Read More


May 1, 2020

VSS UNITY SPACESHIPTWO GOES SOLO IN NEW MEXICO Read More


February 25, 2020

ONE SMALL STEP BEGINS YOUR JOURNEY TO SPACE Read More


February 13, 2020

VSS UNITY MOVES TO SPACEPORT AMERICA Read More


October 16, 2019

YOUR SPACE SUITS HAVE BEEN REVEALED Read More


August 22, 2019

SPACEPORT AMERICA: UNVEILING NEW AREAS Read More


February 22, 2019

VSS UNITY RETURNS TO SPACE WITH 3 ONBOARD Read More


January 7, 2019

NEW MOMENT IN SPACE HISTORY Read More


December 13, 2018

VIRGIN GALACTIC'S VSS UNITY REACHES SPACE Read More


December 7, 2018

ORION SPAN - DEMOCRATIZATION OF SPACE STARTS TODAY! Read More


July 26, 2018

VG ANNOUNCES VSS UNITY BREAKS MACH 2 Read More


July 6, 2018

VG ANNOUNCES FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT WITH ITALY Read More


April 9, 2018

SPACE HOTEL EYES 2021 LAUNCH DATE Read More


April 5, 2018

ORION SPAN ANNOUNCES WORLD'S 1st LUXURY SPACE HOTEL Read More


April 5, 2018

VSS UNITY'S FIRST POWERED TEST FLIGHT Read More


August 4, 2017

UPDATE: VSS UNITY 6th GLIDE FLIGHT Read More


May 1, 2017

VSS UNITY'S FIRST FEATHER FLIGHT Read More


December 3, 2016

VSS UNITY COMPLETES HER FIRST GLIDE FLIGHT Read More


September 8, 2016

VIRGIN GALACTIC IS IN THE AIR AGAIN! Read More


May 22, 2015

VG FIRST MAJOR MILESTONE IN RETURN TO FLIGHT PLAN Read More


Dec 5, 2014

NASA LAUNCHES ORION SPACECRAFT - FIRST STEP TO MARS Read More


May 23, 2014

VG VIRGIN GALACTIC ROCKET MOTOR MILESTONE Read More


January 10, 2014

VG 3rd POWERED TEST FLIGHT SUCESSFUL Read More


September 5, 2013

VG ACHIEVES SECOND SUPERSONIC FLIGHT Read More


May 29, 2013

VG SEAT NEXT TO LEONARDO DICAPRIO AUCTIONED FOR $1.5 MILLION Read More


May 29, 2013

CURRAN INTERVIEWED BY DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE Read More


June 28, 2012

SPACE TOURISM IS HERE! NY TIMES INTERVIEWS CRAIG CURRAN Read More


Read Archives


Blue Origin & Sierra Space Develop Commercial Space Station

New Orbital Destination Opens Up Space For Business & Travel, Creating New Ecosystem

Rochester, NY - October 25, 2021 - Blue Origin and Sierra Space today announced plans for Orbital Reef, a commercially developed, owned, and operated space station to be built in low Earth orbit. The station will open the next chapter of human space exploration and development by facilitating the growth of a vibrant ecosystem and business model for the future. Orbital Reef is backed by space industry leaders and teammates including Boeing, Redwire Space, Genesis Engineering Solutions, and Arizona State University.

Orbital Reef

Designed to open multiple new markets in space, Orbital Reef will provide anyone with the opportunity to establish their own address on orbit. This unique destination will offer research, industrial, international, and commercial customers the cost competitive end-to-end services they need including space transportation and logistics, space habitation, equipment accommodation, and operations including onboard crew. The station will start operating in the second half of this decade.

Orbital Reef will be operated as a “mixed use business park” in space. Shared infrastructure efficiently supports the proprietary needs of diverse tenants and visitors. It features a human-centered space architecture with world-class services and amenities that is inspiring, practical, and safe. As the premier commercial destination in low Earth orbit, Orbital Reef will provide the essential infrastructure needed to scale economic activity and open new markets in space. Reusable space transportation and smart design, accompanied by advanced automation and logistics, will minimize cost and complexity for both traditional space operators and new arrivals, allowing the widest range of users to pursue their goals. The open system architecture allows any customer or nation to link up and scale to support demand. Module berths, vehicle ports, utilities, and amenities all increase as the market grows.

The Orbital Reef business model makes it easy for customers and is strategically designed to support a diverse portfolio of uses. The team has all the services and systems to meet the needs of emergent customers, including researchers, manufacturers, and visitors. Orbital Reef offers standard interfaces at all levels – locker, rack, and module. Seasoned space agencies, high-tech consortia, sovereign nations without space programs, media and travel companies, funded entrepreneurs and sponsored inventors, and future-minded investors all have a place on Orbital Reef.

The Orbital Reef team of experts brings proven capabilities and new visions to provide key elements and services, including unique experience from building and operating the International Space Station:

  • Blue Origin – Utility systems, large-diameter core modules, and reusable heavy-lift New Glenn launch system.
  • Sierra Space - Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE) module, node module, and runway-landing Dream Chaser spaceplane for crew and cargo transportation, capable of landing on runways worldwide.
  • Boeing – Science module, station operations, maintenance engineering, and Starliner crew spacecraft.
  • Redwire Space – Microgravity research, development, and manufacturing; payload operations and deployable structures.
  • Genesis Engineering Solutions – Single Person Spacecraft for routine operations and tourist excursions.
  • Arizona State University – Leads a global consortium of universities providing research advisory services and public outreach.

Ocean Reef Space Station

“For over sixty years, NASA and other space agencies have developed orbital space flight and space habitation, setting us up for commercial business to take off in this decade,” said Brent Sherwood, Senior Vice President of Advanced Development Programs for Blue Origin. “We will expand access, lower the cost, and provide all the services and amenities needed to normalize space flight. A vibrant business ecosystem will grow in low Earth orbit, generating new discoveries, new products, new entertainments, and global awareness.”

“Sierra Space is thrilled to partner with Blue Origin and provide the Dream Chaser spaceplane, the LIFE module and additional space technologies to open up space for commercial research, manufacturing, and tourism. As a former NASA astronaut, I’ve been waiting for the moment where working and living in space is accessible to more people worldwide, and that moment has arrived,” said Dr. Janet Kavandi, former three time NASA astronaut and Sierra Space president.

“This is exciting for us because this project does not duplicate the immensely successful and enduring ISS, but rather goes a step further to fulfill a unique position in low Earth orbit where it can serve a diverse array of companies and host non-specialist crews,” said John Mulholland, Boeing VP and program manager for the International Space Station. “It calls for the same kind of expertise we used to first design and then build the International Space Station and the same skills we employ every day to operate, maintain and sustain the ISS.”

“The Orbital Reef represents the next evolution of the commercial space paradigm by creating the first ever crewed private sector platform in low Earth orbit. The Orbital Reef will carry forward the singular legacy of the ISS, supporting innovative microgravity research, development, and manufacturing activities which will advance fields as diverse as communications and biotechnology,” said Mike Gold, Executive Vice President for Civil Space and External Affairs at Redwire. “The microgravity environment presents an entirely new arena for commercial and scientific development, making Orbital Reef the platform that will launch new technologies and capabilities dramatically improving life on Earth while enabling humanity’s journey to the stars.”

Single Person Aircraft

“The Single Person Spacecraft will transform space walking,” said Brand Griffin, Program Manager for Genesis Engineering Solutions. “Space workers and tourists alike will have safe, comfortable, and quick access outside Orbital Reef. Shirtsleeve environment, great visibility, automated guidance, and advanced precision manipulators will make external operations cost-effective and routine.”

“ASU’s Interplanetary Initiative is honored to be leading the university consortium that is supporting Orbital Reef,” said Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Vice President of ASU’s Interplanetary Initiative and Principal Investigator of the NASA Psyche mission. “We’ve brought together an international group of more than a dozen universities to work on the ethics and guidelines of research — on how we can bring to bear all our expertise in science and research and manufacturing in low gravity, to help nations, corporations and groups that want access to Orbital Reef. It’s about collectively believing in our future and bringing science and engineering to bear on a better future – hugely exciting.”

 

Orbital Reef University Advisory Council
Arizona State University (ASU) leads a global consortium of universities, the Orbital Reef University Advisory Council. Comprising more than a dozen leading academic institutions with expertise in space and microgravity research, the University Research Advisory Council will focus academic community needs, stimulate research, advise novice researchers, evolve standards of conduct, and lead STEM outreach.

University Advisory Council members include:

  • Arizona State University
  • Colorado School of Mines
  • International Space University
  • Oxford University
  • Purdue University
  • Southwest Research Institute
  • Stanford University
  • University of Central Florida
  • University of Colorado at Boulder
  • University of Florida
  • University of Michigan
  • University of Texas at El Paso
  • University of Texas Medical Branch
  • Vanderbilt University

 

About Galactic Experiences by DePrez
Galactic Experiences by DePrez is a member of the DePrez Group Of Travel Companies. Galactic Experiences specializes in the burgeoning field of space tourism, offering such products as astronaut training at the NASTAR centrifuge, suborbital space flights with Virgin Galactic, space balloon flights with Space Perspective, aerial dogfighting, Titanic expeditions and more.

 

 

 

 

For More Information Please Contact:

CRAIG CURRAN , ASA
Galactic Experiences By DePrez, DePrez Travel Bureau, Inc.
585-442-8900 X224

 

Accredited Virgin Galactic Space Agent

 

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