Only Starship has the necessary characteristics to launch the Starlab space station into Earth orbit
31 January Starlab Space, a joint venture between Voyager Space and Airbus Space and Defense, announced an agreement with SpaceX to launch the Starlab space station on a super-heavy Starship rocket. Details of this agreement, including terms and planned launch date, have not yet been disclosed. However, a Starlab Space representative noted that they expect to launch the station before the ISS is decommissioned, which is planned for 2030.
Voyager Space Chairman and CEO Dylan Taylor noted that the choice of Starship as the Starlab vehicle was driven by SpaceX's track record and reliability in launching frequently. He also emphasized Voyager Space's pride in having Starlab launched using Starship, considering SpaceX to be the unrivaled leader in the field.
Starlab Space — the result of a collaboration between Voyager and Airbus, which began after the end of Voyager's partnership with Lockheed Martin. Starlab is designed to be launched into Earth orbit at a time and has a large habitation and laboratory modules, to which a small service module with power supply and control systems is docked.
The volume and dimensions of Starlab make it possible only to launch on a Starship-type launch vehicle. Manfred Jaumann, Airbus vice president of low-Earth orbit and suborbital programs, said the module's diameter exceeds eight meters, requiring the use of Starship because no other launch vehicle can accommodate such a volume.
A special feature of Starlab is the use of stainless steel for the manufacture of the module; such a project was made possible thanks to modern launch vehicles capable of launching up to 100 tons. This allows the module to be fully assembled on the ground before launch, resulting in significant time and cost savings.
However, cooperation with SpaceX carries some risks, as SpaceX received an unfunded agreement with NASA as part of the Commercial Space Opportunities Collaboration 2 initiative. While the details of this agreement are unknown, its connection to the possible use of Starship as a commercial space station highlights the joint venture's potential competition with Starlab Space.
In a statement, SpaceX Senior Vice President of Commercial Business Tom Ocinero said the selection of Starship to launch Starlab represents an important step in commercial space and encourages humanity's continued presence in low-Earth orbit on the path to establishing habitable bases. on other planets.