by Tim Hepher and Joey Roulette
PARIS, Aug 2 (Reuters) – Airbus and U.S. company Voyager Space announced on Wednesday an agreement paving the way for a joint venture to develop, build and operate Starlab, a space station intended to succeed the International Space Station (ISS).
The two companies announced in January that Airbus would support the design of Starlab, one of three projects pre-selected by NASA to replace the ISS, an orbital station that has hosted crews continuously for more than 22 years.
The amount of stakes and financial details were not disclosed.
Starlab’s initial project called for an inflatable habitat designed by Lockheed Martin, but the role of the American group was taken over by Airbus when the decision was made to switch to a metal structure.
“Lockheed will probably still have a role to play somewhere in the supply chain,” Dylan Taylor, chief executive of Voyager Space, told reporters. Lockheed remains a major customer for Voyager and Starlab will remain American-led, he added.
“There will be contributions from Europe, but it is certain that the assembly and the important contributions will come from the United States”, continued the leader.
Voyager, through its operating company Nanoracks, secured $160 million (€146 million) from NASA in 2021 to support Starlab’s development under the Low Earth Orbit Commercial Development Program.
Axiom Space and a team led by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin are developing competing stations under this program.
NASA plans to continue operating the ISS until 2030 and to use private companies to host its scientific research in low Earth orbit, but agency officials have acknowledged that it may need to extend the space. international station lifetime.
Voyager Space and Airbus said Starlab would be deployed in 2028 without giving further details on the timeline.
“It will happen before the ISS is decommissioned, we are confident. As to whether it will be late 2027, early 2028 or late 2028, we are still working out those details,” Dylan Taylor said. . (French version Laetitia Volga, edited by Kate Entringer)
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