Blue Origin has stepped back from the race to build the next home in low Earth orbit, choosing to concentrate its energy on the Moon instead. The decision closes a chapter that began in 2021, when its Orbital Reef station, developed with Sierra Space, was one of three bids chosen to help replace the International Space Station as it nears retirement. Its reasoning rests on a belief that a lasting human presence beyond Earth must start with lunar work, even as the orbital contest it leaves behind moves toward its next decisive round.
Blue Origin Exits NASA's Commercial LEO Destinations Race to Focus on Lunar Work
Blue Origin is stepping out of NASA's contest to build a crewed orbital station
Mark
Why does a company walking away from one NASA contest matter?
Mimi
Blue Origin was one of the original three Phase 1 winners, with Sierra Space, for Orbital Reef. Its exit changes who is left competing to replace the ISS.
Mark
Who is still in the picture?
Mimi
Voyager's Starlab, now a joint venture with Airbus that Northrop joined, and Axiom, which got an award in 2020. Vast also has an unfunded agreement with NASA and plans to launch Haven-1 in early 2027.
Luke
Does the company say why it's leaving?
Mimi
It says its growing role in Artemis and Moon Base work means focusing on capabilities that directly advance lunar projects.
Luke
That's the company's own explanation, though. Nothing in the reporting shows internal costs, or whether Phase 2 terms played a part.
Mimi
Right. The statement was emailed to Aviation Week, and the piece doesn't go beyond it.
Mark
Is Blue Origin out of NASA's orbital work entirely?
Mimi
Not quite. It holds an unfunded Space Act Agreement for a crewed vehicle and is a primary contractor for lunar transport, including crew landings.
Luke
And the timeline is firm?
Mimi
Proposals are due Dec. 8, with awards expected around April 2027. Expected, not guaranteed.
Luke
So whether the ISS gap gets covered is still unknown.
Le Pouls
- Blue Origin is pulling out of a NASA contest it once helped lead, leaving a gap in the race to replace the ISS.
- Its Orbital Reef bid, backed by an early 2021 award, is no longer moving forward.
- Resources are being redirected toward Artemis and Moon Base work, where its role is growing.
- NASA's Phase 2 proposals are due December 8, with awards expected around April 2027, as the field narrows.
Blue Origin has stepped back from the race to build the next home in low Earth orbit, choosing to concentrate its energy on the Moon instead. The decision closes a chapter that began in 2021, when its Orbital Reef station, developed with Sierra Space, was one of three bids chosen to help replace the International Space Station as it nears retirement. Its reasoning rests on a belief that a lasting human presence beyond Earth must start with lunar work, even as the orbital contest it leaves behind moves toward its next decisive round.
Blue Origin has decided to withdraw from NASA's competition to build and operate a commercial station in low Earth orbit. The company says it wants to direct its resources toward technologies and services that support a human presence on the Moon and the journey to get there.
The decision ends a path that started in 2021, when NASA chose Blue Origin, working with Sierra Space, for one of three Commercial LEO Destinations Phase 1 contracts. Their Orbital Reef proposal was meant to succeed the International Space Station, which is set to be retired in 2030. The other awards went to Voyager Technologies' Starlab and a Northrop Grumman proposal, which Northrop later folded into the Starlab team.
Blue Origin framed its exit as a matter of mission. It aims to build a road to space where millions of people can live and work, and it believes a sustained lunar presence is the necessary step. It is not leaving NASA's orbital work altogether, as it still holds an unfunded agreement for a crewed vehicle and serves as a primary contractor for lunar transportation.
All eyes now turn to the December 8 proposal deadline and the awards expected around April 2027, which will reveal who remains in the race as the ISS approaches its end.
Blue Origin is stepping out of NASA's contest to build, own and operate a crewed station in low Earth orbit. The company says it wants to put its resources into technologies and services for a human presence on the Moon and for getting people there.
The decision ends a path that began in 2021, when NASA selected Blue Origin, working with Sierra Space, for one of three Commercial LEO Destinations Phase 1 contracts. Its proposal was Orbital Reef, a commercial station meant to succeed the International Space Station, which is currently slated for decommissioning in 2030.
The other two Phase 1 awards went to Voyager Technologies' Starlab station and to a proposal from Northrop Grumman. Those followed a 2020 award to Axiom Space, whose station would first attach to the ISS and later separate to fly on its own. Northrop withdrew in October 2023 and joined the Starlab team, which is now a joint venture with Airbus.
NASA is also working with startup Vast under an unfunded Space Act Agreement. Vast plans to launch an early version of its station, Haven-1, in the first quarter of 2027.
The contest Blue Origin is leaving is entering a new stage. NASA released its CLD Phase 2 solicitation on Oct. 9. The agency intends to award multiple firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts, initially supporting two or more contractors through early development. A follow-on competitive task order would then go to one or more providers for final design, test, evaluation, certification and services. Proposals are due Dec. 8, with awards expected around April 2027.
In a statement emailed to Aviation Week, Blue Origin framed the move as a matter of mission. The company said it aims to build a road to space so that millions of people can live and work there, and that a sustained human presence on the Moon is a critical step toward that future. It added that its role supporting NASA's Artemis and Moon Base missions keeps growing, and that it is focusing resources on capabilities that directly advance its lunar projects. Sharpening that focus, it said, will let it move faster on the technologies and infrastructure needed for lunar permanence.
The company is not leaving NASA's orbital work entirely. Besides its Phase 1 work, it holds an unfunded Space Act Agreement to mature technologies and build hardware for a crewed vehicle. It is also a primary NASA contractor for lunar transportation services, including landing crew on the Moon.
What to watch now is the Dec. 8 proposal deadline and the awards expected around April 2027, which will show who remains in the field as the ISS heads toward its 2030 retirement.
Citations marquantes
As its role supporting Artemis and Moon Base missions grows, the company is focusing resources on capabilities that directly advance its lunar projects.— Blue Origin statement to Aviation Week
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