Voyager Space and Airbus Defense and Space are partnering to develop and operate Starlab, a free-flying space station to serve the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and a global customer base of space agencies and researchers. Starlab is planned to be launched in 2028 to ensure a continued human presence in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO).
Airbus Defense and Space will provide technical design support and expertise for the Starlab space station which will serve as an on-orbit laboratory for astronauts to conduct investigations and advance scientific discovery. Starlab is designed and architected to provide 100 percent of the International Space Station's payload capacity with the ability to conduct hundreds of experiments and technical investigations per year.
Voyager and its operating company, Nanoracks, were awarded a $160 million Space Act Agreement from NASA in December 2021 to create Starlab, a continuously crewed, free-flying space station to replace the International Space Station. Starlab is designed to serve as the home for the George Washington Carver Science Park, the first science park in space, where scientists and industry experts can share findings, collaborate, and use new technologies to advance both scientific and commercial endeavors.
"Thank you to NASA and our US government partners for their steadfast support of our efforts to build a commercial destination in LEO that serves the US and international research community." continued Dylan Taylor. "We want Starlab to be the platform of choice for customers around the world. Today's partnership with Airbus provides the potential for significant continued US and European access to space."
