Blue Origin Unveils Hypersonic Spaceplane That Will Feature an Inflatable Habitat

Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ Company, Is Developing a Reusable Hypersonic Spaceplane That Can Be Used About 15 Times.

Blue Origin, the space company of former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, is working hard alongside the Colorado-based startup Sierra Space on the Orbital Reef project, which aims to develop a hypersonic spaceplane. The two companies behind the project recently destroyed a prototype module for the station as part of an ongoing testing campaign.

Hypersonic Spaceplane Travel Is About to Become a Reality

Orbital Reef, one of the planned private successors to the International Space Station (ISS), will feature a space hotel, research facilities for companies and scientists, and a restaurant. Once in orbit, around the year 2027, people will be able to travel to the space business park using a hypersonic spaceplane named Dream Chaser.

Sierra Space is producing the hypersonic plane aiming to become the largest real estate developer in space, alongside Jeff Bezos’ company. Tom Vice, CEO of Sierra Space, stated in an interview that the world is on the brink of the Orbital Era, which can be compared to the Industrial Revolution or the Advent of the Information Age.

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According to the executive, it will first be necessary to enhance the development of commercial economies in low Earth orbit. This way, it will be possible to reach the lunar surface, 250,000 miles away, before discovering how to live on a planet that is 34 million miles away. Part of Sierra Space’s contribution to this cause comes in the form of the Dream Chaser, which is expected to conduct its first crewed mission around 2026.

The hypersonic spaceplane can be reused about 15 times and will have the capacity to carry around 12,000 pounds, equivalent to 5,440 kg of cargo or 12 passengers.

Jeff Bezos’ Company Hypersonic Plane Will Feature Inflatable Space Habitat

In addition to transporting passengers to the company’s new station, the hypersonic spaceplane will also be responsible for moving cargo and crew to the ISS, as part of a $3 billion contract with NASA.

The contract is part of a NASA initiative focused on reducing dependence on SpaceX as the only American company capable of transporting astronauts to the ISS at present. The plane developed by Sierra Space will be four times shorter than NASA’s space shuttle, measuring 30 feet, equivalent to about 9 meters.

However, it includes a feature called Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE), which allows for the installation of a large space habitat once in space. The inflatable habitat expands to a size of 27 feet (8.23 meters) in diameter, equivalent to that of a three-story building. Its soft material has the capability to deflect small meteors and other space debris.

Sierra Space Is Building a Spaceport Network

The relatively small structure of the hypersonic spaceplane also provides an advantage that could be essential. The model can land horizontally on any runway capable of accommodating a Boeing 747 or Airbus A380.

Though the long-term goal is for the Dream Chaser, developed by Sierra Space, to land on commercial runways at international airports, the company is also developing a spaceport network for the model, including SpacePort America in New Mexico and facilities in Cornwall, England, and Oita, Japan.

Once operational, the hypersonic spaceplane will be capable of reaching the low orbit location of Orbital Reef within approximately three days of travel time.