The Strategist

Airbus and Voyager Space to set joint venture for building ISS analogue



08/03/2023 - 03:29



The new station will be called Starlab.



The U.S. National Archives
The U.S. National Archives
American company Voyager Space and the European aircraft consortium Airbus Defense and Space have decided to form a joint venture in order to build and run Starlab, one of the potential projects that could replace the International Space Station (ISS), Airbus said in a press release.

“We are dedicated to continuing the legacy of the ISS through the Starlab project since it is universally acknowledged as the most effective platform for international cooperation in space. The joint venture will unite top space executives and further align U.S. and European space exploration agendas,” according to the company.

The next station will have a diameter that is twice as large (8 meters) as the ISS and a volume that is half as vast when it is launched into orbit in 2028. Starlab will provide space for various experiments, including experiments in microgravity, which are required for research and development in the pharmaceutical industry. The station will host astronauts from member nations of the European Space Agency.

source: spacenews.com