Orbital Reef and commercial low Earth orbit destinations—upcoming space research opportunities
ABSTRACT As the International Space Station comes to the end of a transformative era of in-space research, NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destinations (CLD) Program aims to catalyze a new generation of platforms with co-investment from the private sector, preventing a potential gap in resea...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-03-01
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| Series: | npj Microgravity |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-024-00363-x |
| _version_ | 1797233386701455360 |
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| author | Luis Zea Liz Warren Tara Ruttley Todd Mosher Laura Kelsey Erika Wagner |
| author_facet | Luis Zea Liz Warren Tara Ruttley Todd Mosher Laura Kelsey Erika Wagner |
| author_sort | Luis Zea |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT As the International Space Station comes to the end of a transformative era of in-space research, NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destinations (CLD) Program aims to catalyze a new generation of platforms with co-investment from the private sector, preventing a potential gap in research performed in LEO, while building a robust LEO economy. In this paper, we provide insight into the CLD Program focusing on Orbital Reef, describing its operational and technical characteristics as well as new opportunities it may enable. Achieving about a third of the pressurized volume of the ISS with the launch of a single pressurized module and growing to support hundreds of Middeck Locker Equivalents (MLE) in passive and active payloads internally and externally, Orbital Reef will enable government, academic, and commercial institutions to continue and expand upon research and development (R&D) efforts currently performed on ISS. Additionally, it will enable nascent markets to establish their operations in space, by initiating new lines of research and technology development and the implementation of new ventures and visions. Using Blue Origin’s New Glenn heavy launch system, Sierra Space’s cargo and crew Dream Chaser® vehicles, and Boeing’s Starliner crew vehicle, and expertise from Amazon/Amazon Supply Chain, Arizona State University, Genesis Engineering, and Redwire, Orbital Reef is being designed to address ISS-era transportation logistics challenges. Finally, this manuscript describes some of the expected challenges from the ISS-to-CLD transition, and provides guidance on how researchers in academia and industry can shape the future of commercial destinations and work performed in LEO. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T16:15:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4adba791f830470898646be00148cac2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2373-8065 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T16:15:21Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Microgravity |
| spelling | doaj.art-4adba791f830470898646be00148cac22024-03-31T11:27:50ZengNature Portfolionpj Microgravity2373-80652024-03-011011410.1038/s41526-024-00363-xOrbital Reef and commercial low Earth orbit destinations—upcoming space research opportunitiesLuis Zea0Liz Warren1Tara Ruttley2Todd Mosher3Laura Kelsey4Erika Wagner5Sierra SpaceBlue OriginBlue OriginBlue OriginSierra SpaceBlue OriginABSTRACT As the International Space Station comes to the end of a transformative era of in-space research, NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destinations (CLD) Program aims to catalyze a new generation of platforms with co-investment from the private sector, preventing a potential gap in research performed in LEO, while building a robust LEO economy. In this paper, we provide insight into the CLD Program focusing on Orbital Reef, describing its operational and technical characteristics as well as new opportunities it may enable. Achieving about a third of the pressurized volume of the ISS with the launch of a single pressurized module and growing to support hundreds of Middeck Locker Equivalents (MLE) in passive and active payloads internally and externally, Orbital Reef will enable government, academic, and commercial institutions to continue and expand upon research and development (R&D) efforts currently performed on ISS. Additionally, it will enable nascent markets to establish their operations in space, by initiating new lines of research and technology development and the implementation of new ventures and visions. Using Blue Origin’s New Glenn heavy launch system, Sierra Space’s cargo and crew Dream Chaser® vehicles, and Boeing’s Starliner crew vehicle, and expertise from Amazon/Amazon Supply Chain, Arizona State University, Genesis Engineering, and Redwire, Orbital Reef is being designed to address ISS-era transportation logistics challenges. Finally, this manuscript describes some of the expected challenges from the ISS-to-CLD transition, and provides guidance on how researchers in academia and industry can shape the future of commercial destinations and work performed in LEO.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-024-00363-x |
| spellingShingle | Luis Zea Liz Warren Tara Ruttley Todd Mosher Laura Kelsey Erika Wagner Orbital Reef and commercial low Earth orbit destinations—upcoming space research opportunities npj Microgravity |
| title | Orbital Reef and commercial low Earth orbit destinations—upcoming space research opportunities |
| title_full | Orbital Reef and commercial low Earth orbit destinations—upcoming space research opportunities |
| title_fullStr | Orbital Reef and commercial low Earth orbit destinations—upcoming space research opportunities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Orbital Reef and commercial low Earth orbit destinations—upcoming space research opportunities |
| title_short | Orbital Reef and commercial low Earth orbit destinations—upcoming space research opportunities |
| title_sort | orbital reef and commercial low earth orbit destinations upcoming space research opportunities |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-024-00363-x |
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