Voyager Space, one of the several US companies formulating concepts for new commercial space stations, has formed a joint venture with Airbus to develop a research outpost in Earth’s orbit called “Starlab.” The companies announced the joint venture on Wednesday, stating that they plan to establish the successor to the International Space Station. A new International Space Station is being established.
Initiatives for the new International Space Station have begun.
In a joint statement, the two companies stated, “The US-led joint venture will bring together world-leading experts in the space domain, further uniting American and European interests in space exploration.” Voyager has been leading the development of a privately-owned space station called Starlab for several years.
The Starlab station concept was one of the three projects selected for funding by NASA in 2021, alongside separate industry teams led by Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman. Voyager took charge of the project’s design and engineering work for the Starlab station through a cost-sharing public-private partnership arrangement, securing NASA’s largest funding award of $160 million.
As for the European aerospace giant Airbus, it has now assumed a more significant role in the Starlab program. After announcing its collaboration with Voyager’s Starlab team in January, the joint venture, unveiled this week, solidified Airbus’s position as a co-owner of the space station.
Jean-Marc Nasr, the President of Airbus Space Systems, stated in a press release, “With a history of innovation and technological breakthroughs, Airbus is proud to partner with companies that aim to change history.”
NASA aims to have at least one commercial space station operational by the time the International Space Station is retired in 2030. According to NASA, this strategy will allow them to focus on deep space exploration, such as the Artemis lunar program and eventually human missions to Mars, by freeing up government resources.
Voyager states that the Starlab station could be ready for launch by 2028. The entire station will be launched using a single heavy-lift rocket. Kuta mentioned that the Starlab team will announce a launch provider for the space station in the coming months.
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