Recent partnerships 42
Orbital Reef: University Advisory Council We announced a partnership with Blue Origin and Sierra space this year to collaborate on a low-Earth orbit (LEO) space station, called Orbital Reef, which received $130 million in funding from NASA through a funded Space Act Agreement. The Interplanetary Initiative is leading the University Advisory Council. The newly-formed 15-member Council brings together leading universities in space exploration, microgravity research and human spaceflight from around the globe. They will focus on advocating for the academic community’s needs, stimulating broad participation in research in LEO, advising novice researchers, evolving standards of conduct, and leading STEM outreach. The Council has held two meetings to kickstart its work including an in-person and hybrid meeting at ASU’s Tempe campus in January to define its first year goals.
