Starlab Commercial Space Station
Starlab Space
Starlab Space's single-launch commercial space station — a large inflatable habitat targeting continuous 4-person crew operations as a NASA CLD-selected ISS successor.
Technical specifications
- Station type
- Single-launch inflatable commercial space station
- Crew capacity
- 4 astronauts
- Pressurized volume
- ~340 m³ (expanded)
- Docking ports
- 4
- Partners
- Voyager Space + Airbus + Mitsubishi Corporation
- NASA contract
- CLD (Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destinations) selected
- Target launch
- 2028–2030 (heavy-lift vehicle)
About
Starlab is a commercial space station being developed by Starlab Space LLC (a partnership between Voyager Space and Airbus, with Mitsubishi Corporation joining later) as a NASA Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destinations (CLD) selected station. Unlike Axiom Station’s modular approach (attaching to the ISS first), Starlab is designed to launch in a single rocket mission using an inflatable habitat module that expands to a large volume after deployment.
The station will support a crew of up to 4 astronauts and provide approximately 340 cubic meters of pressurized volume when expanded — comparable to the ISS’s lab modules. Starlab features a pressurized hub, four docking ports, integrated solar power arrays, and a George Washington Carver Science Park (the dedicated life sciences and research laboratory).
NASA has committed to purchasing research time and crew missions on Starlab as part of its CLD commitment, providing anchor demand alongside commercial revenues from pharmaceutical companies, materials science researchers, media/entertainment, and sovereign astronaut programs. Starlab targets a 2028–2030 launch on a heavy-lift vehicle (SpaceX Starship or Falcon Heavy class).
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.