Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk podcast. This is a show where we discuss. The critical. Crossroads. The shape SpaceX. Tesla X, The Boring Company, and Neuralink and I'm your host Will Walden. If you want uninterrupted episodes of the Elon Musk podcast, please go to clubelon.supercast.com to find out how. There's a link in the show notes so.
There's a collaborative effort going on between Voyager Space, Airbus Space and Defense, and they've chosen Spacex's massive Starship for an unprecedented single flight launch of the commercial space station known as Star Lab. Of This project aims to offer a new destination in low Earth orbit before the International Space Station concludes its operations in 20-30. Now the partnership with SpaceX noted for its high frequency launches.
They've done over 100 launches last year and they are very reliable. It's a huge step for commercial spaceflight. They're leveraging the massive amount of cargo space that Starship has and the unique capability to deploy large payloads in one launch. Now, the formation of Star Lab Space Joint Venture was solidified early in January, building out a partnership announced last August between Voyager and Airbus.
This collaboration pivoted from a previous engagement with Lockheed Martin, steering towards a fresh direction with Airbus to conceptualize Starlab, The design visions A comprehensive space station incorporating a vast habitation and laboratory module, supported by a service module for essential functions like power and propulsion and life support, all intended to be placed in orbit in one launch.
It took numerous launches to get the International Space Station up and running, and if they can do this in one launch, this is going to be a huge, huge win for commercial Space Flight. Now the decision to utilize Spacex's Starship was significantly influenced by the sheer size of Starlab.
It boasts a diameter of around 8 meters and the Starship itself is around 9 meters, so it fits in there snugly, and it also makes it incompatible with current launch vehicles except for the Starship. The design choice not only shows that the technical synergy between Starship and Starlab, both featuring stainless steel construction, but also highlights the logistical and economic advantages of avoiding complex in orbit assembly or multiple launches.
Therefore, they're slashing manufacturing timelines and launch cost dramatically. Now despite the apparent collaboration, Spacex's involvement brings an interesting dynamic as it positions itself both as a partner and a potential competitor in the commercial
space station domain. Spacex's exploration under NASA's collaborations for commercial space capabilities to initiative to study Starship as a stand alone commercial station adds layers to this multi faceted relationship, reflecting the intricate web of cooperation and competition in the new space economy. Now, echoing the enthusiasm for this groundbreaking mission, Spacex's Tom Ocarino expressed excitement for Starship's role in propelling Star Lab into
orbit. He said that the project is advancing commercial space and its contribution to humanity's sustainable presence in low Earth orbit cannot be understated. This mission aligns with Spacex's broader vision of facilitating multi planetary existence, marking an important milestone in space exploration.
Now, the unique proposition of a single launch deployment stand out as a critical factor in Starlab's business model, eliminating the need for multiple launches and the complexities of assembling components in space. This approach not only simplifies logistics, but also significantly reduces associated risks and costs, setting a new precedent in space station deployment.
And with an anticipated launch window in 2028 just four years away, Starlab is poised to offer a sizable platform for microgravity research, accommodating a crew of four in a module the rivals half the internal volume of the ISS. The venture strategic partnerships and its appeal to international astronauts, especially from Europe thanks to Airbus's involvement, are poised to attract the diverse clientele
to this new orbital outpost. The recent addition of North of Grumman to the STAR Lab consortium, tasked with autonomous cargo deliveries via the Cigna spacecraft, along with a significant financial endorsement from NASA, shows that this project's robust infrastructure and the growing ecosystem supporting commercial space stations is growing fast.
The SpaceX Starship, the chosen vehicle for STAR Labs launch, is itself out of trajectory, filled with critical milestones, including an upcoming integrated flight test, IFT 3, which should be happening in the middle to late February of 2024. Now the raucous development is closely watched not only for its commercial obligations like STAR Lab, but also for its role in NASA's Artemis 3 mission, which seeks to return humans to the lunar surface in the coming decade.
Now the competitive landscape of private space stations is heating up right now, with Starlab positioning itself among a select group of ventures like Axiom Space, Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin, and also Vast Space, each vying to offer viable alternatives to the ISS. The potential human rated configuration of Starship as a temporary space station also adds another layer of complexity to this evolving sector.
They will have customers with Axiom Space, Blue Origin, Vast Space and also Starlab, but they could logistically launch a Starship to low Earth orbit and it becomes a space station immediately and have life support. Have everything on it, and you don't really need the other space stations at that point. And you can also dock a Starship to a space station to increase its capacity dramatically.
Now, NASA's support through initial funding to various contenders, including Voyager space, shows that they're working on fostering a new generation of low Earth orbit habitats. With a forthcoming competition slated to further narrow down the candidates. The race to develop operational commercial space station is entering a critical phase right now.
The overarching challenge for Starlab and its contemporaries nice and cultivating A sustainable customer base beyond NASA, essential for justifying the operational and logistical costs of maintaining such facilities in orbit. Hundreds of millions of dollars to run these things. Now, this endeavor is not trivial considering the historical financial commitments NASA made towards ISS construction and the maintenance of that gigantic vehicle in
space. Now Starlab's partnership structure, particularly the involvement of Airbus, we offer a strategic advantage in appealing to European stakeholders addressing concerns about the continuity of European astronaut missions. Post ISS, this aspect could be pivotal in ensuring Starlab's position as an attractive low Earth orbit destination or a broad spectrum of international
partners. Now, the selection of Spacex's Starship, or Starlab's deployment is a clear indicator of the shifting paradigms in space exploration, where collaboration across sectors and borders is key to achieving ambitious goals. Now, the integration of Spacex's launch capabilities with Starlab's innovative design highlights the symbiotic relationships that are driving
the space industry forward. And the emphasis on a single flight launch strategy by Starlab not only reflects a technical logistical preference, but also a strategic maneuver to streamline operations and minimize the financial and operational complexities associated with space missions, setting a new standard for future space station
deployments. Now, as Starlab's launch countdown begins, the collaboration between Voyager, Space, Airbus, and SpaceX shows that there's a new era coming in space exploration, where innovation, partnership, and strategic foresight converge to expand humanity's footprint in the cosmos. And Starlab Space's selection of Starship for a singular, monumental launch into orbit will be an important evolution in space station technology and
commercial spaceflight. This collaboration heralds a new chapter in humanity's quest for knowledge and presence in space, promising to extend the legacy of the International Space Station with the next generation platform for innovation, research and exploration in the final frontier. Hey, thank you so much for listening today. I really do appreciate your support.
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