Jeff Bezos is building a space station that will host space tourists: it will cost about 100,000,000,000 dollars

The International Space Station has been a successful collaboration between different space agencies that has contributed to enormous scientific advances. However, 26 years in orbit is starting to weigh down, so NASA has already set an expiration date on this structure. NASA has allocated $843 million to SpaceX to ensure safe deorbitation in 2031.

He retirement of the International Space Station It marks the end of an era, but opens a door for the beginning of an ambitious project led by Jeff Bezos’ space company: putting a huge space station into orbit that space tourists can visit. Millionaires, of course.

A hotel 400 km from Earth

The project Blue Origin Orbital Reef It has been in development for more than three years, and there are at least three more left to start seeing the first real results. NASA has trusted Blue Origin to carry out this project, giving it an initial budget of 130 million dollars for its development.

The space station will be designed as a multifunctional and self-sufficient space of 823 cubic meters, which will house dormitories to accommodate space tourists, social areas, as well as modules for scientific research and other activities. Its initial launch is scheduled for 2027, but it will not reach full operation until 2030.

Brent Sherwood, senior vice president of advanced development programs at Blue Origin, told GeekWirethat Orbital Reef would cost “at least an order of magnitude less” than the International Space Station. This means that the project led by Jeff Bezos will cost approximately $100 billion.

The development of Orbital Reef is the result of a collaboration between industry giants such as Blue Origin, Sierra Space, Amazon and Boeing, although the latter is not having its best moment. Each partner plays an essential role in this megaproject. Sierra Space, for example, will provide Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE) modules and a Dream Chaser spaceplane for cargo and crew transportation.

For its part, Amazon will contribute with its experience in logistics and supply chain management, a critical element to guarantee the supply of the space station.

Jeff Bezos believes that this is the future

Despite the rivalry that exists between Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, both share the idea of ​​an interplanetary humanity. However, as the founder of Amazon revealed in the Lex Fridman podcasthe is betting on a future in which humanity will remain on space stations, not on the surface of planets.

With that idea in mind, Jeff Bezos’ first space station designs are intended to accommodate ten peopleand its facilities will be expanded by adding new modules. The station’s large windows will offer privileged views of Earth and space, making each stay a unique experience for those tourists who can afford the ticket to this million-star hotel.

“Think spacious modules with large windows to view the Earth… while experiencing the thrill of weightlessness in total comfort,” describes Blue Origin on the page of the project.

Orbital Reef will have a lot of competition

He ISS retirement and the transition to commercial stations represent a significant change in space exploration. According to published Business Insiderthis new era could democratize access to space, allowing companies and individuals to exploit the possibilities of space development.

One of the most advanced projects is Jed McCaleb a millionaire who made his fortune with cryptocurrencies, who has designed Haven-1, a luxury space station that is scheduled to go into orbit in 2025 powered by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

In Xataka | A millionaire has just gone where only NASA had gone. It is a warning of what awaits space in the future.

Image | Blue OriginJeff Bezos is building a space station that will host space tourists: it will cost about $100,000,000,000