The International Space Station (ISS) has shaped research in space for almost three decades. In 2030, its mission will come to an end and with it the era of state-supported space stations. Space travel is facing a fundamental change: commercial providers will then take over the development and operation of new stations.
This includes Starlab Space GmbH, the European subsidiary of the joint venture Starlab Space LLC between Airbus and the US company Voyager Technologies. The company will work from Cologne on the development of the Starlab space station: a research and industrial platform in orbit that will enable experiments in areas such as biosciences, materials research and climate studies.
NRW is involved in this forward-looking field from the outset, as evidenced by the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Starlab Space. The goal is to raise NRW's profile as a leading center for space travel in Europe and to foster an ecosystem that encourages innovation and connects science, companies, and startups.
Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy in NRW, commented: "Future, commercially operated platforms will play a decisive role in gaining new scientific knowledge, testing technologies and establishing value chains. The cooperation with Starlab offers our companies, research institutions and innovative SMEs the opportunity to play an active role in this development. We are ready to take on international responsibility in the space sector and expand our role as a space location in Europe."
NRW has a strong foundation for cooperation with Starlab Space: Cologne is already home to the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the emerging GovSatCom hub. The city has specialized simulation, research and training facilities. From 2030, this infrastructure will be expanded by the addition of Starlab.