Nanoracks spent the last decade mastering the commercial operation of space stations, meeting customer demand, charting market growth, and self-investing in private hardware on the ISS. Based on this experience, we are excited to introduce Starlab, a continuously crewed commercial platform supporting a business designed to enable science, research, and manufacturing for customers around the world.
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The main structure of Starlab consists of a large inflatable habitat to be built by Lockheed Martin and a metallic docking node. Regenerative ECLSS enables continuous presence of four crew. They will live and work in a spacious 340m3 volume. The station also features a 60kW power and propulsion element, a large robotic arm for servicing cargo and external payloads, and a state-of-the-art laboratory system to host advanced research, science, and commercial capability.
The George Washington Carver (GWC) Science Park, the first science park in space, forms the core of Starlab. Named after the great American scientist, the GWC Science Park was founded to honor of his legacy of scientific discovery for the benefit of life on Earth. Nanoracks and our experienced team of utilization specialists are tailoring the GWC Science Park to meet the needs of researchers and commercial customers. The Park features four main operational departments: a biology lab, plant habitation lab, physical science and materials research lab, and an open workbench area.
Nanoracks recently announced the unification of its commercial laboratory ecosystem on the ISS under the GWC Science Park name. The GWC serves as first ever in-space member organization of the International Association of Science Parks (IASP).
Nanoracks owns and operates Starlab and GWC Science Park. Nanoracks, a leader in commercial space services, will respond quickly to customer needs and prioritize on-orbit activities.
Voyager, the majority stakeholder in Nanoracks, is a global leader in space exploration and seeks to deliver any conceivable space mission.
Lockheed Martin builds leading complex spacecraft systems. The company serves as the technical integrator for Starlab and will develop Starlab’s inflatable habitat module. After launch, Lockheed Martin will operate the system under Nanoracks’ leadership.
Nanoracks operates at the forefront of the commercial space station market with 10+ years of lessons learned as the largest commercial user of the ISS.