ISS REPLACEMENT
NASA’s favorable review of ‘Orbital Reef’ Space Station moves it closer to reality
Sierra Space & Blue Origin’s collaborative project aims to replace International Space Station (ISS) — scheduled for 2030 retirement
When the space race kicked off more than five decades ago, it added another dimension to the cold war between the two superpowers at the time — the United States & Russia (formerly USSR). It was a challenging feat, which needed expertise, resources, and political will. A lot has changed since then. Not only do we see other countries showing interest to explore the final frontier, but private corporations have also entered the foray.
According to Citigroup analysts, the space industry is on track to hit $1 trillion in annual revenue by 2040, with launch costs down 95% — driven mainly by the innovation brought about by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Jeff Bezo’s Blue Origin and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic along with SpaceX have already tested flights to kick off space tourism in the very near future. NASA is planning a landmark Artemis mission to the moon by 2025. Manned Mars missions are up next on the radar in the coming decade.
