Airbus teams up with the American Voyager Space for a new space station
The European giant Airbus and the American startup Voyager Space have created a joint venture for the development and operation of the future Starlab private station whose launch should take place by 2028. Full details
The European Airbus goes on board the future Starlab private space station.
The American startup active in space exploration, Voyager Space, and Airbus Defense and Space have reached an agreement that paves the way for a transatlantic joint venture for the development, construction and management of Starlab: a commercial space station destined to succeed the International Space Station (ISS) . A press release made it known.
Starlab is one of the first projects in a race launched by NASA four years ago to develop commercial alternatives to the ISS. Launched 23 years ago, the International Space Station orbits approximately 420 km above the earth and is expected to be fully operational in 2031. Starlab is expected to launch by 2028.
All the details.
WHAT IS STARLAB
Developed by Nanoracks, a subsidiary of Voyager Space, Starlab is one of the private infrastructures that will take the place of the International Space Station. The new station will have a diameter of eight meters, almost double that of the ISS, and half its volume.
At the end of 2021, NASA awarded the project $160 million, just as it had also awarded $130 million to Blue Origin and $126 million to Northrop Grumman for their respective space outpost projects, Les Echos recalls. Starlab, like its future counterparts, must therefore offer services that allow astronauts to carry out the scientific experiments they practice today on board the ISS. It will thus provide them with a laboratory developed in collaboration with various American universities.
AIRBUS AT WORK WITH VOYAGER ON THE PRIVATE SPACE STATION
The companies announced on August 2 the creation of a joint venture, also called Starlab, which will be responsible for the development and operation of the station.
The joint venture, led by the United States, will bring together "world-class leaders in the space sector and further unite American and European interests in space exploration". In addition to the US entity, Starlab will have a European branch of the joint venture to directly serve the European Space Agency (ESA) and the space agencies of its member states.
THE EUROPEAN COLOSSUS TAKES THE PLACE OF LOCKHEED MARTIN
The deal signed in early August formalizes the partnership announced in January on Voyager's Starlab project and will see Airbus replace US defense firm Lockheed Martin as its main industrial partner, the Financial Times underlines.
THE IMPACTS FOR EUROPE
According to SpaceNews , having a European company as part of the joint venture should make it easier for European governments and organizations, such as ESA, to participate in Starlab. Once the ISS is finished, ESA, like NASA, will be able to purchase seats on board Starlab for its astronauts.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/airbus-si-allea-con-lamericana-voyager-space-per-una-nuova-stazione-spaziale/ on Fri, 04 Aug 2023 09:55:31 +0000.