Jeff Bezos\u2019 Blue Origin was one of three aeronautics companies chosen to design new \u201ccommercial destinations\u201d in space to replace the ISS.<\/b>
\nNASA has awarded a company that sued it a multi-million dollar contract to design a new space station. Jeff Bezos\u2019 Blue Origin was one of three aeronautics companies chosen to design new \u201ccommercial destinations\u201d in space, according to a NASA press release. The total amount awarded for the contracts is $415.6 million. The pile of money will be split fairly evenly amongst the three with Blue Origin receiving $130 million, Nanoracks receiving $160 million, and Northrop Grumman Systems receiving $125.6 million. \u201cWith commercial companies now providing transportation to low-Earth orbit in place, we are partnering with US companies to develop the space destinations where people can visit, live, and work, enabling NASA to continue forging a path in space for the benefit of humanity while fostering commercial activity in space,\u201d agency chief Bill Nelson said in the release. The contracts are a part of NASA\u2019s plan to replace the aging International Space Station (ISS) with a commercial replacement. A recent audit by the agency discovered that the orbital outpost is practically falling apart. In fact, the situation is so bad that NASA is exploring an \u201cearlier-than-projected obsolescence\u201d for some parts of the ISS, meaning it would need to be retired by 2030. The agency now hopes to get a new commercial station in orbit and operational by 2028. However, the audit notes that due to a tight timeline, getting a new station into orbit might not be feasible until after 2030. That means there could be a weird window of time where NASA just doesn\u2019t have a human presence in space. However, Blue Origin is still aiming to launch its Orbital Reef into space by 2030 \u2014 that is, if it can avoid getting into legal drama along the way. READ MORE: NASA Selects Companies to Develop Commercial Destinations in Space [NASA] More on Blue Origin: Newly Released Court Documents Obliterate Blue Origin\u2019s Lawsuit Against NASA Care about supporting clean energy adoption? Find out how much money (and planet!) you could save by switching to solar power at UnderstandSolar.com. By signing up through this link, Futurism.com may receive a small commission.<\/p>\n