# Blue Origin Skips NASA Station Bid

Blue Origin says it will not submit its Orbital Reef proposal in NASA’s commercial space-station competition round, and reports say the company is shelving the project to focus on lunar work. NASA is pursuing at least two awards, but its estimated $1 billion–$1.5 billion for FY2026–FY2031 may fund only one station. Proposals are due December 8, 2026 (24 days from November 14), with awards expected around April 2027. The decision narrows the announced field and leaves bidders weighing a significant gap between NASA’s award goals and projected funding; Blue Origin received a $130 million initial Orbital Reef design award in December 2021.

- NASA describes the competition as firm-fixed-price, multiple-award IDIQ contracts, with an early development phase followed by a competitive task order for final design, testing, certification, and services. Prospective bidders can use this structure to assess the scope and pricing risks of participation.
- The stated funding estimate may not support NASA’s goal of two or more stations. Companies developing proposals should account for the possibility that fewer awards will be made than planned.
- Companies intending to compete must submit proposals by **December 8, 2026**; NASA expects awards around April 2027. Blue Origin’s decision does not identify which other companies will submit proposals.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Construction & Infrastructure, Transportation
**Topics:** Contracting Vehicles, Physical Infrastructure
**Published:** November 13, 2026

### Government Entities
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- Government Accountability Office (GAO)
- U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

### Vendors
- Blue Origin (2021 NASA Orbital Reef design awardee; will not bid in the next station competition round)
- Voyager Technologies (Lead of the Starlab effort and potential station-competition bidder)
- Airbus (Starlab joint-venture participant)
- Axiom Space (2020 NASA station awardee and potential competitor)
- Vast (Potential competitor holding an unfunded NASA Space Act Agreement)

### Sources
- [Blue Origin is shelving Orbital Reef and skipping NASA's next commercial space station round to focus on the Moon. Five years after the contract, the station is still a rendering. In fairness, the Moon has the advantage of already existing.
https://t.co/KJcZtn8sUS](https://x.com/MissileMAS/status/2121261997673046368) - twitter-agency
- [Blue Origin Skips Orbital Reef Station Bid: NASA Wants Two Stations, May Afford One](https://www.techtimes.com/articles/330688/20261113/blue-origin-skips-orbital-reef-station-bid-nasa-wants-two-stations-may-afford-one.htm) - Tech Times