Starlab, a private space station designed for low Earth orbit, is set to be launched on a SpaceX Starship rocket in the late 2020s. The project, led by Voyager Space and Airbus in partnership with Northrop Grumman and Hilton, represents an early commercial customer for a Starship launch from SpaceX. While the exact value of the contract was not disclosed, this development comes as NASA prepares to retire the International Space Station in 2030.
The targeted launch date for Starlab is as early as 2028, allowing for a four-year development and construction timeline. This also provides SpaceX with time to advance Starship from demonstration flights to launching customer spacecraft. The Starlab space station, with modules about 26 feet in diameter, is designed to limit the need for multiple launches by being launched all at once on a Starship rocket. Voyager’s Chairman and CEO Dylan Taylor sees this approach as a way to de-risk the program by eliminating the need for risky on-orbit assembly and multiple launches.
Voyager and Airbus are currently working on design reviews with NASA, having previously received funding under the agency’s Commercial LEO Destinations program. The focus of the habitat’s design is on the market for microgravity research in space, with Starlab intended to continuously support a crew of four people and remain in orbit for up to 30 years.
