Voyager Space has selected SpaceX, Elon Musk’s aerospace venture, to deliver the StarLab space station to Earth orbit. StarLab is planned to replace the International Space Station once the ISS reaches its end of service, according to official information from Voyager Space. The choice underscores a shift in how private industry collaborates with space agencies to sustain human presence in low Earth orbit.
While a firm launch date has not been set, officials indicate StarLab is expected to reach orbit before 2030, aligning with the projected retirement timeline for the ISS. The mission’s scheduling will be influenced by hardware readiness, flight opportunities, and readiness of the ground segment and crew operations for long-duration research in microgravity. This timeline keeps StarLab on a trajectory to become a primary platform for sustained experimentation and commercial activity in LEO, marking a new era for orbiting laboratories (Citation: Voyager Space).
StarLab is planned to be launched in a single flight powered by SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft, a vehicle designed to carry heavy payloads to orbit with a focus on reusability and rapid turnaround. The single-launch concept aims to streamline deployment, reduce on-orbit assembly time, and accelerate access to microgravity environments for researchers and industry partners alike (Citation: Voyager Space).
“SpaceX’s demonstrated reliability and capabilities were decisive factors for us,” stated Voyager Space CEO Dylan Taylor, noting that Starship’s track record supports a bold, efficient path to operational maturity for StarLab (Citation: Voyager Space).
Preliminary designs describe StarLab as a four-person crew module, with a footprint roughly double the size of the ISS and a diameter of eight meters. If these specifications hold, StarLab will offer expanded habitable space and advanced research facilities, enabling a broader range of experiments in life sciences, materials science, and physical sciences under continuous microgravity conditions. In addition to fundamental research, the station is expected to support technology demonstrations and commercialization efforts that can drive innovation and economic activity in space and on Earth (Citation: Voyager Space).
Beyond science, the StarLab program envisions international partnerships and mission integration that mirror the collaborative spirit of the ISS era while leveraging the speed and flexibility of commercial spaceflight. The project emphasizes safety, sustainable operations, and governance frameworks that ensure long-term access to LEO for researchers, educators, and private sector teams who rely on a stable platform for experimentation and product development (Citation: Voyager Space).