The first private space station Starlab will orbit the Earth in 2027

Nanoracks, Voyager Space and Lockheed Martin announced Oct. 21 that they plan to create a private space station in low Earth orbit (LEO) by 2027. The outpost, dubbed Starlab, is to become a tourist destination as well as a research and manufacturing center, contributing to the growth of the extraterrestrial economy.

"To meet the space needs of the U.S. government, international space agencies and commercial organizations, industry leaders will develop Starlab specifically for the growing space economy and customer demand for space services such as materials research, plant growth and astronaut activities," the three companies said in a press release.

The four-person Starlab Station will be lifted into the air in a single launch, which is expected to take place in 2027. The outpost will consist of a habitat module with an internal volume of 340 cubic meters, a propulsion and propulsion system, a laboratory unit and a large external robotic arm for servicing payloads and cargo. 

To understand the situation: the internal volume of the entire International Space Station (ISS) is 916 cubic meters.

Source: space, prnewswire

Illustrations: Nanoracks/Lockheed Martin/Voyager Space