Starlab Space LLC reaches a major milestone in its commercial space station development by completing the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) in partnership with NASA, progressing to full-scale production.
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| Starlab completes a key milestone in its space station development with NASA, moving toward full-scale production and astronaut readiness for low-Earth orbit missions. Image: Starlab |
Houston, Texas, USA — March 4, 2025:
Starlab Space LLC has achieved a significant milestone in its commercial space station development by successfully completing the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) in collaboration with NASA. This marks a crucial step forward, signaling the readiness of the space station’s design, architecture, and integration plans. With the PDR completed, the project is now set to advance into the next phase, which involves detailed design and hardware development, ultimately leading to a Critical Design Review (CDR) to confirm the station’s readiness for operational use.
Tim Kopra, CEO of Starlab, expressed pride in the team’s achievement, highlighting the technical soundness and safety of the design for astronaut operations. He stated that the completion of this milestone enables the company to now focus on the full-scale development of the station, including manufacturing critical hardware and integrating software. Kopra emphasized that the collaboration with NASA was integral to reaching this point in the project’s timeline.
Dylan Taylor, chairman and CEO of Voyager Technologies, Starlab’s majority joint venture shareholder, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing Starlab’s role in advancing U.S. leadership in low-Earth orbit. He noted that this success, fueled by strategic investments and partnerships with international organizations, will help ensure a continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit and accelerate the growth of the commercial space ecosystem.
Over the next year, Starlab intends to expand its efforts by establishing a System Integration Lab that will serve as the hub for testing avionics, sensors, and software. The company also plans to procure materials for critical subsystems, develop a high-fidelity mock-up for astronaut training and systems testing, and continue to advance key technologies, including life support systems and communication capabilities. The mock-up will be fully assembled at NASA’s Johnson Space Center this summer.
Starlab is also growing its presence in Europe, with an expanded facility in Bremen, Germany, to support assembly, integration, and testing operations. The company opened a subsidiary, Starlab Space GmbH, earlier this year to solidify its international partnerships and broaden its capabilities.
Starlab’s success is backed by substantial funding, including $217.5 million from NASA through the Commercial LEO Destinations Phase 1 program, as well as $15 million from the Texas Space Commission. This financial backing, combined with support from joint venture partners across the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Canada, positions Starlab to be a leader in the future of commercial space exploration. As the company progresses through the development stages, it remains focused on advancing scientific discovery and technological innovations that will drive humanity’s future in space.