Jeff Bezos' Rocket Company To Focus On Moon Over Space Station? Blue Origin Reportedly Expected To Split With Sierra Space

In recent developments, Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos, anticipates severing its corporate partnership with Sierra Space. Insider sources suggest the company’s focus is shifting towards other crucial projects.

What Happened: According to a Reuters report, Blue Origin has reassigned the majority of its staff involved in the Orbital Reef project. This project, a commercial space station, was a joint venture with Sierra Space. The personnel have been redeployed to other key projects, including the new moon lander contract with NASA and a highly confidential in-space mobility initiative.

A spokesperson for Blue Origin confirmed that Sierra would remain a partner on Orbital Reef, but the specific role was not clarified. Brent Sherwood, the head of Blue Origin’s Advanced Development Programs and overseer of Orbital Reef, intends to leave the company by the end of this year. Neither Sherwood’s exit nor the staff reassignments have been announced publicly.

The company, launched by Amazon.com founder Bezos in 2000, has encountered significant hurdles with its critical programs. This includes the grounding of its suborbital tourist rocket, New Shepard, following a 2022 accident, as well as delays in the development of its larger rocket, New Glenn.

Blue Origin announced its partnership with Sierra Space, a spinoff of defense contractor Sierra Nevada Corp, in 2021. The partnership aimed to construct Orbital Reef, a microgravity science laboratory for companies and government agencies, as well as a destination for tourists. However, recent managerial disagreements have strained the partnership. The specifics of Blue Origin’s plans to proceed with its own space station, without Sierra, remain unclear.

See Also: Watch: Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe Recalls How Electric Truck Origin Story Went From ‘Horribly Bad Idea’ To Success In Candid Chat With 8th Graders

Why It Matters: Blue Origin’s anticipated split from Sierra Space comes in the wake of several significant developments. In December 2021, the company received a $130 million contract from NASA for the development of Orbital Reef.

In July 2023, NASA awarded Blue Origin $34.7 million to advance the Blue Alchemist technology which produces solar cells from lunar dust.

Despite these advancements, Blue Origin has been noted for its slower pace compared to competitors like SpaceX.

The company, which conducted a limited number of flights since its inaugural sub-orbital test launch in 2006, has not yet achieved orbit. Furthermore, the highly anticipated New Glenn initiative is expected to begin testing its engines in the near future, as reported in August 2023.

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