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Ibadan, 1 February 2024. – Starlab Space LLC, the transatlantic joint venture between Voyager Space and Airbus, has selected SpaceX to launch the Starlab commercial space station into low-Earth orbit (LEO). Starship, SpaceX’s fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond, will launch Starlab in a single mission prior to the decommissioning of the International Space Station.
As a continuously crewed, free-flying space station, Starlab will serve a global customer base of space agencies, researchers, and companies, ensuring a continued human presence in LEO. Furthermore, it will ensure a seamless transition of microgravity research from the International Space Station into the new commercial space station era. Starlab will launch on a single flight, be fully outfitted on the ground, and be ready to permanently host four crew members in LEO to conduct microgravity research and advanced scientific discovery.
Speaking on the mission, Tom Ochinero, Senior Vice President of Commercial Business at SpaceX, said, “Starlab’s single-launch solution continues to demonstrate not only what is possible, but how the future of commercial space is happening now.” He also added, ” The SpaceX team is excited for Starship to launch Starlab to support humanity’s continued presence in low-Earth orbit on our way to making life multi-planetary.”
Likewise, Dylan Taylor, Chairman and CEO of Voyager Space, commented, “SpaceX’s history of success and reliability led our team to select Starship to orbit Starlab. SpaceX is the unmatched leader for high-cadence launches, and we are proud Starship will launch Starlab in a single flight.”
The Starlab team has advanced through multiple program milestones over the past year, including completion of the Systems Requirements Review, System Definition Review, and Human in the Loop testing.
