In a groundbreaking partnership, Voyager Space and Airbus Defence and Space have revealed plans to establish a transatlantic joint venture aimed at creating and operating Starlab, a commercial space station intended to succeed the iconic International Space Station (ISS). The joint venture is set to bring together the expertise of two prominent players in the global space exploration industry while fostering collaboration between American and European interests in space endeavours.

The foundation for Starlab was laid in December 2021 when Voyager Space was awarded a significant $160 million Space Act Agreement (SAA) by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) through Nanoracks, a part of Voyager's exploration segment. This agreement, which is part of NASA's Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program, set the stage for the creation of Starlab, which will be a continuously crewed, free-flying space station designed to cater to NASA's needs as well as a global customer base of space agencies and researchers. The primary mission of the Starlab program is to maintain a continuous human presence in low Earth orbit (LEO) and to sustain American leadership in this domain.                                

Today's joint venture announcement builds upon an agreement previously disclosed in January 2023, wherein Voyager Space selected Airbus to provide essential technical design support and expertise for the Starlab project.

This represents a significant milestone in Voyager's evolution, and will hopefully lead to being the world's leading commercial space station.

Full release here