Voyager TechnologiesIn Development
Next-generation commercial space station developed by Starlab Space, the Voyager-led JV with Airbus, Mitsubishi Corporation and MDA Space. The ~8-meter-diameter, two-deck station launches complete in a single SpaceX Starship flight - no on-orbit assembly - and hosts a continuous crew of four with ISS-equivalent payload capability, an MDA SKYMAKER robotic arm, Palantir-built AI/data infrastructure and Hilton-designed crew quarters. Completed NASA Commercial Critical Design Review in February 2026; targeting a 2029 launch.
Latest update Sep 13, 2026
01
CCDR complete (Feb 2026); transitioning to manufacturing ahead of a targeted 2029 Starship launch. NASA's CLDC final RFP is now expected at the end of September 2026. On September 11 Starlab opened an ISS research call with Swiss partners as a bridge to station utilization.
02
03
Announced next steps from Voyager Technologies that mention Starlab.
2026-2027
Following the February 2026 Commercial Critical Design Review - the 28th NASA milestone - Starlab transitions from design validation to manufacturing, fabrication, testing and assembly of the flight station. The program has now signed over $500M of commercial reservations (approaching $600M) ahead of launch, and NASA Space Act Agreement milestone payments (~$211M of the $217.5M awarded received through Q2 2026) are moderating as the program shifts toward Phase 2 commercialization. Watch for structural test article and long-lead hardware milestones.
Dec 8, 2026
Dec 2026
Starlab's September 11, 2026 call for ISS microgravity proposals, run with the Center for Space and Aviation Switzerland and Liechtenstein, takes Step-1 questions through September 25 and proposals through October 9. Up to four teams will be selected, with award notices expected in December 2026 and flights targeted for 2028.
Dec 18, 2026
TargetDecember 18, 2026 (anticipated; indicative Q1 2028 ISS flight)
Early 2027
NASA released the Phase 2 draft RFP on July 6, 2026 and closed the industry feedback window on July 27. A September 4, 2026 NASA Johnson Space Center presolicitation now says the final Commercial LEO Destination Contract RFP is expected at the end of September 2026, with offers due 60 days after release (roughly late November) and contractual questions due September 15. An award is still expected in early-to-spring 2027. CEO Dylan Taylor has publicly pushed NASA for relaxed Phase 2 requirements. NASA plans at least two early development contracts for commercial space stations before a later down-select. Winning is the pivotal catalyst for Starlab's multi-billion-dollar opportunity.
2029
The complete station is contracted to launch in a single SpaceX Starship flight, currently targeted for 2029 - timed to provide continuous LEO access before the ISS is retired around 2030.
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NASA Johnson Space Center posted the final Commercial LEO Destination Contract RFP (80JSC027R0004) on Oct. 9, with proposals due Dec. 8 at 1 p.m. Central. The solicitation supersedes the draft RFP and seeks firms to design, build, certify and operate commercial LEO destinations. Axiom, Voyager's Starlab and Vast each said they will compete; NASA told Ars it plans to select two or more contractors, with a decision expected in April.
Starlab Space, the commercial space station joint venture led by Voyager Technologies alongside Airbus, Mitsubishi Corporation, MDA Space, Palantir Technologies and Space Applications Services, announced on August 19 a strategic investment from Global Venture Management. The investment amount was not disclosed, but Starlab said it adds to a deepening pool of institutional capital backing the station as it works to become the leading post-ISS commercial outpost in low Earth orbit.
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The first and only permanent commercially owned module on the International Space Station, built by Nanoracks (now Voyager) with Thales Alenia Space and Boeing. The bell-shaped, ~4 m³ airlock - five times the capacity of the station's government airlock - deploys CubeSats and external payloads, hosts experiments and ejects trash, and has operated since its December 2020 arrival on SpaceX CRS-21.
A commercial lunar lander acquired with the July 13, 2026 close of the Astrobotic acquisition, flying NASA payloads under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. Peregrine Mission One launched January 8, 2024 on the maiden flight of ULA's Vulcan Centaur, but a propellant-system valve failure caused a critical fuel leak shortly after separation; unable to attempt a soft landing, the spacecraft was directed to reenter and burn up in Earth's atmosphere on January 18, 2024. NASA's June 30, 2026 Moon Base awards fund two follow-on Peregrine landers - Peregrine-2 and Peregrine-3 - totaling $297.9M. Each is scheduled to launch in 2028 and deliver three NASA payloads (LETS radiation spectrometer, SCALPSS plume cameras, and a laser retroreflector array) plus leftover commercial capacity to a site near the Gruithuisen Domes.
An infrastructure-class lunar lander acquired with the July 13, 2026 close of the Astrobotic acquisition, built for NASA's now-cancelled VIPER rover mission and repurposed as Griffin Mission One. Griffin-1 will carry 10 NASA, ESA and commercial payloads - including Venturi Astrolab's FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform (FLIP) rover - to the Nobile Crater region near Mons Mouton at the lunar south pole, delivering the largest commercial payload ever sent to the Moon and demonstrating Griffin's ability to carry Moon Base cargo such as rovers, science instruments and solar power plants.
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Blue Origin
Heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle with a reusable first stage, designed for commercial, civil, and national security missions.
Blue Origin
Suborbital launch vehicle for space tourism and research, capable of fully autonomous vertical landing and reuse.
Blue Origin
Liquid oxygen/liquefied natural gas (methane) rocket engine - the first American-made oxygen-rich staged combustion engine. Powers New Glenn and ULA Vulcan Centaur.
Blue Origin
Lunar landing system family with a cargo-focused Mark 1 variant and a crew-capable Mark 2 variant being developed for NASA's Artemis program.