Three US companies to launch private space station Starlab into orbit

Nanoracks, Voyager Space and Lockheed Martin announced the intention to create and launch into low-earth orbit the private space station Starlab. On its basis, it is planned to develop space tourism and conduct various research.

The Starlab station will be designed for four people. It will be lifted into orbit in a single launch, which is expected to take place in 2027. The device will have a living module with an internal volume of 340 cubic meters, power and propulsion elements, laboratory facility and large external robotic arm for handling payloads.

For comparison: the International Space Station (ISS) has an internal volume of 916 cubic meters, which is equivalent to the volume of a Boeing 747 aircraft.

By the time of launch, Starlab may already have competitors. For example, Axiom Space intends to launch one private module to the ISS in 2024 and three more by the end of 2027. This quartet will be able to detach from the larger base ship and operate as a vacant commercial space station.

Colorado-based Sierra Space is also developing a private orbital outpost project, and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin has also expressed interest in this endeavor.

NASA wants such commercial stations to compensate for the shortcomings of the ISS, which is likely to be decommissioned between 2028 and 2030. This outpost has hosted astronaut crews since November 2000, and is currently approved for operation until the end of 2024, but many are expecting an extension.