voyager space company wiki

Voyager Space raises $80M as it continues development on private space station, Starlab

Voyager Space , a company developing a private space station, has raised $80.2 million in new capital. The new funding comes as Voyager continues its development of the station, Starlab, which is no doubt an enormously capital-intensive undertaking.

The funding includes participation from NewSpace Capital, Midway Venture Partners and Industrious Ventures, according to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings and other documents viewed by TechCrunch. Seraphim Space also participated, TechCrunch has confirmed. The funding was filed with the SEC on January 27.

In October 2021, Voyager announced it was developing “Starlab,” a completely private space station, in partnership with Nanoracks (which is majority owned by Voyager) and Lockheed Martin. The project, which is not the only private station currently under development, is in part in response to the impending retirement of the International Space Station by the end of the decade.

NASA has already provided a large bulk of funding to Voyager, as well as two separate projects led by Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman. Starlab was awarded $160 million to further develop its plans under the agency’s Commercial low Earth orbit (LEO) Destinations program. In a recent report, NASA’s Office of Inspector General said that a habitable station in LEO was vital to conducting research needed to support human exploration missions to the moon and Mars.

TechCrunch has reached out to Voyager Space for comment and will update the story if they respond.

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My Portfolio
• Stock Market
• Biden Economy
• EV Deep Dive
• Stocks: Most Actives
• Stocks: Gainers
• Stocks: Losers
• Trending Tickers
• World Indices
• US Treasury Bonds
• Top Mutual Funds
• Highest Open Interest
• Highest Implied Volatility
• Stock Comparison
• Advanced Charts
• Currency Converter
• Investment Ideas
• Research Reports
• Basic Materials
• Communication Services
• Consumer Cyclical
• Consumer Defensive
• Financial Services
• Industrials
• Real Estate
• Mutual Funds
• Credit Cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash-back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Personal Loans
• Student Loans
• Car Insurance
• Morning Brief
• Market Domination
• Market Domination Overtime
• Opening Bid
• Stocks in Translation
• Lead This Way
• Good Buy or Goodbye?
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Yahoo Finance

Voyager space and airbus finalize starlab space llc joint venture.

Space exploration companies finalize creation of transatlantic joint venture, achieves critical program milestone

DENVER , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Voyager Space (Voyager) and Airbus, global leaders in space exploration, today announced they have completed the transaction to create Starlab Space LLC, a transatlantic joint venture that will design, build, and operate the Starlab commercial space station. Alongside the joint venture execution, the Starlab team completed the station-level System Definition Review (SDR), a critical milestone assessing the technical and programmatic accountability of the program.

"Our sights are set on powering the commercial space revolution, and it's crystal clear we're leading the way for commercial low-Earth orbit," said Matthew Kuta , President, Voyager Space. "Through our joint venture with Airbus, teaming agreements with Northrop Grumman and Hilton, and continued success in meeting critical milestones, Starlab is setting the new standard for commercial space."

In August 2023 , Voyager and Airbus first announced an agreement to form a transatlantic joint venture to support a continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit and a seamless transition of microgravity science and research opportunities in the post-International Space Station era. In October 2023 , Voyager announced a teaming agreement with Northrop Grumman to develop fully autonomous rendezvous and docking technology for Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft and provide cargo resupply services for Starlab.

"The International Space Station inspired global cooperation to a level never imagined possible in space," said Jean-Marc Nasr , Head of Space Systems at Airbus. "Starlab will be no different. This joint venture solidifies our unwavering commitment to reimagining the future of commercial space alongside Voyager, anchoring Starlab to European and American ambitions and pioneering the future of humanity in space."

In addition to the US entity, which has authorities to operate in the United States and with US government agencies, Starlab is expected to have a European affiliated joint venture to directly serve the European Space Agency and its member state space agencies.

Nanoracks LLC, part of Voyager's Exploration Segment, was awarded the largest of three Commercial LEO Destinations Space Act Agreements from NASA in December 2021 to create Starlab, a continuously crewed, free-flying space station to serve NASA and a global customer base of space agencies and researchers. The Starlab team has advanced through multiple milestones over the past year, including the successful completion of the SDR and the earlier completion of both the on-orbit science park and the station-level System Requirements Review.

About Starlab Space 

Starlab Space LLC is a transatlantic joint venture between Voyager Space and Airbus that is designing, building, and will operate the Starlab commercial space station. Starlab will serve a global customer base of space agencies, researchers, and companies, ensuring a continued human presence in low-Earth orbit and a seamless transition of microgravity science and research from the International Space Station into the new commercial space station era.

For more information on Starlab, visit the Starlab website at  www.starlab-space.com  and follow us on social media at @Starlab_Space ( X , Instagram ) and @Starlab ( Linkedin ).

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements." All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including those with respect to Voyager Space, Inc.'s and Starlab's (the "Company's") mission statement and growth strategy, are "forward-looking statements."  Although the Company's management believes that such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee that such expectations are, or will be, correct. These forward-looking statements involve many risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company's future results to differ materially from those anticipated.  Potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, general economic conditions and conditions affecting the industries in which the Company operates; the uncertainty of regulatory requirements and approvals; and the ability to obtain necessary financing on acceptable terms or at all. Readers should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve these known and unknown uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Company's control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects the Company's current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/voyager-space-and-airbus-finalize-starlab-space-llc-joint-venture-302029350.html

SOURCE Starlab

Covering the business and politics of space

Airbus and Voyager finalize Starlab joint venture

• Click to share on X (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Clipboard (Opens in new window)

WASHINGTON — Voyager Space and Airbus Defence and Space have finalized a partnership to develop the Starlab commercial space station, seeking to win customers for it from both sides of the Atlantic.

The companies announced Jan. 9 that they completed the formation of Starlab Space LLC, the joint venture responsible for the design, construction and operation of the station. The companies announced plans to create the joint venture in August .

“This joint venture solidifies our unwavering commitment to reimagining the future of commercial space alongside Voyager, anchoring Starlab to European and American ambitions and pioneering the future of humanity in space,” said Jean-Marc Nasr, head of space systems at Airbus, in a statement.

The companies described the joint venture as a partnership that would leverage both technical and business competencies of the two companies. It is also designed to help win business from both NASA and European customers, like the European Space Agency, as the agencies transition from the International Space Station to commercial facilities like Starlab.

“If you look at the business case for Starlab, you discover very quickly that neither Europe nor the U.S. can do a space station on their own,” said Manfred Jaumann, vice president of low Earth orbit and suborbital programs at Airbus, during a session of the Space Tech Expo Europe conference in Bremen, Germany, in November. “You need partners.”

Voyager, he said, brought to the partnership expertise in commercialization. “The commercialization process in the U.S. is much more advanced” than in Europe, he argued. “They are years ahead of us.”

Airbus, he said, brought to the partnership technical expertise. That includes development of the large habitation module, made of stainless steel, that enables the station to be launched on a single flight of a heavy-lift rocket. “This is a complete game-changer when compared with ISS,” he said.

The companies, in addition to finalizing the joint venture, also completed the system definition review for Starlab. That keeps the program on track to be ready by late this decade, before the scheduled retirement of ISS in 2030.

In addition to the joint venture with Airbus, Voyager also announced in October a partnership with Northrop Grumman , which had been working on its own commercial space station concept. Northrop will provide its own technical support to Starlab and develop a version of its Cygnus cargo vehicle that can dock with Starlab.

As part of that agreement, Northrop terminated a funded Space Act Agreement with NASA for its commercial space station. NASA reallocated the remaining money on that agreement to other companies Jan. 5 , including $57.5 million to Voyager Space for additional development milestones and work on the new Cygnus variant.

“Through our joint venture with Airbus, teaming agreements with Northrop Grumman and Hilton, and continued success in meeting critical milestones, Starlab is setting the new standard for commercial space,” Matthew Kuta, president of Voyager Space, said in a statement.

Starlab Space is a U.S. entity, allowing it to work directly with NASA and other government agencies. Voyager and Airbus said in the announcement that it would establish a “European affiliated joint venture” to serve ESA and other European entities. Airbus and Voyager signed a memorandum of understanding with ESA in November to study how Starlab could serve ESA’s needs after the retirement of the ISS.

Starlab Space separately announced Jan. 11 that Jim Bridenstine, the former NASA administrator, will join its board of directors.  

Jeff Foust writes about space policy, commercial space, and related topics for SpaceNews. He earned a Ph.D. in planetary sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree with honors in geophysics and planetary science... More by Jeff Foust

Sign up for a SpaceNews newsletter

Get top stories, military space news and more delivered to your inbox.

What are you looking for?

Most popular topics.

• Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

02 August 2023

Voyager space and airbus announce joint venture to build and operate starlab.

DENVER – 02 August, 2023 - Voyager Space (Voyager), a global leader in space exploration, and Airbus Defence and Space (Airbus), the largest aeronautics and space company in Europe, today announced an agreement paving the way for a transatlantic joint venture to develop, build, and operate Starlab, a commercial space station planned to succeed the International Space Station. The US-led joint venture will bring together world-class leaders in the space domain, while further uniting American and European interests in space exploration.

“We are proud to charter the future of space stations with Airbus,” says Matthew Kuta, President at Voyager Space. “The International Space Station is widely regarded as the most successful platform for global cooperation in space history, and we are committed to building on this legacy as we move forward with Starlab. We are establishing this joint venture to reliably meet the known demand from global space agencies while opening new opportunities for commercial users.”

Voyager was awarded a $160 million Space Act Agreement (SAA) from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in December 2021 via Nanoracks , part of Voyager’s exploration segment. Part of NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program, this SAA sets the foundation to create Starlab, a continuously crewed, free-flying space station to serve NASA and a global customer base of space agencies and researchers. The program’s mission is to maintain continued human presence and American leadership in low-Earth orbit (LEO). Today’s announcement builds on an agreement made public in January 2023 , where Voyager selected Airbus to provide technical design support and expertise for Starlab.

“With a track record of innovation and technological firsts, Airbus prides itself on partnering with companies that are looking to change history,” said Jean-Marc Nasr, Head of Space Systems at Airbus. “This transatlantic venture with footprints on both sides of the ocean aligns the interests of both ourselves and Voyager and our respective space agencies. This pioneers continued European and American leadership in space that takes humanity forward. Together our teams are focused on creating an unmatched space destination both technologically and as a business operation.”

In addition to the US entity, Starlab will have a European joint venture subsidiary to directly serve the European Space Agency (ESA) and its member state space agencies.

This announcement follows a major design milestone in Starlab’s development, the Systems Requirements Review (SRR), which baselines the major space systems, technical readiness, and ability to meet NASA’s mission and safety requirements. The Starlab SRR, was completed in June 2023 in coordination with NASA’s Commercial LEO Development Program team.

“Today marks a major step forward for the future of commercial space destinations,” continues Kuta. “We are proud to have NASA’s trust to build the replacement for the ISS, a partnership that expands Starlab’s ecosystem to global space agencies, and a team that is mission driven and dedicated to reimagining the future.”

The implementation of the joint venture will be subject to applicable regulatory approvals.

About Airbus

Airbus pioneers sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world. The Company constantly innovates to provide efficient and technologically-advanced solutions in aerospace, defence, and connected services. In commercial aircraft, Airbus offers modern and fuel-efficient airliners and associated services. Airbus is also a European leader in defence and security and one of the world's leading space businesses. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions and services worldwide.

About Voyager Space

Voyager Space is dedicated to building a better future for humanity in space and on Earth. With over 35 years of spaceflight heritage and over 2,000 successful missions, Voyager is powering the commercial space revolution. Voyager delivers exploration, technology, and defense solutions to a global customer base that includes civil and national security agencies, commercial companies, academic and research institutions, and more.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements.” All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including those with respect to Voyager Space, Inc.’s (the “Company’s”) mission statement and growth strategy, are “forward-looking statements.” Although the Company’s management believes that such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee that such expectations are, or will be, correct. These forward-looking statements involve many risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company’s future results to differ materially from those anticipated. Potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, general economic conditions and conditions affecting the industries in which the Company operates; the uncertainty of regulatory requirements and approvals; and the ability to obtain necessary financing on acceptable terms or at all. Readers should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve these known and unknown uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Company’s control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects the Company’s current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Your contact

Ralph Heinrich

Head of External Communications - Airbus Space Systems

Francisco Lechón

External Communications - Airbus Space Systems, Spain

Jeremy Close

External Communications - Airbus Space Systems, UK

Guilhem Boltz

External Communications - Airbus Space Systems, France

Innovation: Shaping the future of aerospace

Assets available for download, artist view starlab - mediumres - copyright starlab space llc, artist view starlab - lowres - copyright starlab space llc.

Png 303.27 KB

Artist view Starlab - highres - Copyright Starlab Space LLC

Png 12.17 MB

Communiqué de Presse

Pdf 270.31 KB

Presseinformation

Pdf 172.19 KB

Comunicado de Prensa

Pdf 170.33 KB

Press Release

Pdf 205.55 KB

• Human Space Flight
• Manned spaceflight
• Orbital infrastructure

Space Latest News

EarthCARE satellite set to explore the Earth’s skies

Eutelsat 36d airbus-built satellite successfully launched.

Airbus-built TEXUS sounding rockets take to the skies to conduct experiments in microgravity

Company plans to start building private Voyager space station with artificial gravity in 2025

Voyager Station will be able to accommodate 400 guests, its builders say.

Orbital Assembly Corporation (OAC) recently unveiled new details about its ambitious Voyager Station , which is projected to be the first commercial space station operating with artificial gravity.

OAC, a manufacturing firm centered on the colonization of space, discussed Voyager Station during a video press junket late last month. The Jan. 29 "First Assembly" virtual event served as an update for interested investors, marketing partners and enthusiastic vacationers hoping to someday book a room aboard the rotating Voyager Station.

The project's roots go back a number of years. 

In pictures: Private space stations of the future

John Blincow established The Gateway Foundation in 2012. The organization's plans include jumpstarting and sustaining a robust and thriving space construction industry, first with the Voyager Station and The Gateway commercial space station — "important first steps to colonizing space and other worlds," the foundation's website states . OAC was founded by the Gateway Foundation team in 2018 as a way to help make these dreams come true. 

The hour-long Jan. 29 presentation and Q&A session was hosted by OAC medical advisor Shawna Pandya and streamed live on the company's YouTube channel. During the event, the space construction company revealed its schedule for the next chapter of human space exploration. 

Its team of skilled NASA veterans, pilots, engineers and architects intends to assemble a "space hotel" in low Earth orbit that rotates fast enough to generate artificial gravity for vacationers, scientists, astronauts educators and anyone else who wants to experience off-Earth living.

Get the Space.com Newsletter

Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!

As a multi-phase endeavor requiring funds to realize the dream, OAC is now officially open for private investors to purchase a stake in the company at $0.25 per share, until April 1, 2021. 

Voyager Station is patterned after concepts imagined by legendary rocket scientist Wernher von Braun , one of the main orchestrators of NASA's Apollo program. The 650-foot-wide (200 meters) wheel-shaped habitat will spin with an angular velocity high enough to create moon-like levels of artificial gravity for occupants.

Lunar legacy: 45 Apollo moon mission photos

If realized, Voyager would become the biggest human-made structure in space, fully equipped to accommodate up to 400 people. Assembly is scheduled to begin around 2025, Gateway Foundation representatives said. 

This shining technological ring will feature amenities ranging from themed restaurants, viewing lounges, movie theaters and concert venues to bars, libraries, gyms, and a health spa.

Voyager will house 24 integrated habitation modules, each of which will be 65 feet long and 40 feet wide (20 by 12 meters). At near-lunar gravity , the rotating resort will have functional toilets, showers, and allow jogging and jumping in fun and novel ways.

But before the station can start spinning, its builders must establish the necessary orbital infrastructure and create smaller structures to test the concept. 

Blincow explained during the Jan. 29 event that the current plan is to build the rotating space station in stages, beginning with a small-scale prototype station, in addition to a free-flying microgravity facility, both using Voyager components. 

"This will be the next industrial revolution," Blincow said.

Eventually, a Structure Truss Assembly Robot (STAR) will fabricate the frame of the Voyager and Gateway stations in orbit. Prior to that happening, however, a smaller, ground-based prototype, known as DSTAR, will test the technology here on Earth. 

OAC's truss assembly robot stands to be the first to build a space station in low Earth orbit and will serve as "the structural backbone of future projects in space," OAC fabrication manager Tim Clements said during the event. 

Currently, the machine is undergoing commissioning and shipping. It will then be completed and tested in California.

"The prototype will produce a truss section roughly 300 feet [90 m] in length in under 90 minutes," Clements revealed during the live-streamed event. "DSTAR weighs almost 8 tons in mass, consisting of steel, electrical and mechanical components."

OAC is also creating a robotic observer drone for remote viewing via a virtual reality headset as its first in-house development project. 

"It's going to be our eyes on the job site," said Tim Alatorre, Gateway Foundation executive team member one of the station's designers. "The observer drone operates in a support function. It can perch on existing craft. It can also be fully reusable and can fly and have a free-flight mode on extended missions."

Long before Voyager Station can start accommodating guests, OAC needs to test both building a station in low Earth orbit and prove the viability of stable artificial gravity in space. The company plans to construct a prototype gravity ring that will measure 200 feet (61 m) in diameter and will be engineered to spin up to create artificial gravity near Mars' level, which is about 40% that of Earth.

"The gravity ring is going to be a key technology demonstration project that we plan to build, assemble and operate in low Earth orbit in just a few years' time," said OAC co-founder Jeff Greenblatt. "The company also plans to use an orbital version of the DSTAR called the PSTAR, which stands for Prototype Structural Truss Assembly Robot."

This gravity ring will act as a "near-term demonstrator," which will take two to three years to build and launch. Once installed in orbit, its assembly will take just three days. This structure will act as the company’s test base for many of the technologies to be used to build Voyager Station.

"We haven't seen an explosion of commercial activity in space," Alatorre said. "The cost has been about $8,000 per kilogram [$3,600 per lb.] for a long time. But with the Falcon 9, you can do it for less than $2,000. And as Starship comes online, it will only cost a few hundred dollars." (These were references to SpaceX launchers — the company's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket and its Starship Mars vehicle , which is in development.)

"Microgravity is just brutal on our bodies," Alatorre added "We need artificial gravity — a mechanism to give us a dosage of gravity to give us the ability to live long-term in space." 

Related: Weightlessness and its effects on astronauts

The planned gravity ring may also become a research platform for international space agencies and private aerospace firms interested in the effects of partial artificial gravity on both non-living and living systems, OAC representatives said.

"This will give researchers an unprecedented opportunity to access that intermediate gravity regime," Greenblatt said. "This will then pave the way for OAC to build larger, more complex structures in space, which is obviously necessary if we're going to get to the point of building Voyager Station and other larger structures beyond."

Looking into the future, government and private companies will be allowed to use the Voyager modules for lunar training missions and beyond, providing a launch pad for entrepreneurs to develop and market tourist activities in space.

"We don't want the Voyager experience to be like being in an attack submarine in combat, so we're [building] for comfort," said Tom Spilker, OAC's chief technology officer and vice president of engineering and space systems design. "It's a bit smaller than the length of the U.S. Capitol building."

"Despite the seemingly endless list of luxury amenities, there will also be airlocks for visitors," Spilker added. "So anyone who can afford a space hotel can go on a private spacewalk, where the only thing between you and the universe is a faceplate."

Correction: A previous version of this story listed Gateway Foundation executive team member Tim Alatorre as the lead designer of the Voyager station project. He is one of the designers. 

Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Jeff Spry is an award-winning screenwriter and veteran freelance journalist covering TV, movies, video games, books, and comics. His work has appeared at SYFY Wire, Inverse, Collider, Bleeding Cool and elsewhere. Jeff lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon amid the ponderosa pines, classic muscle cars, a crypt of collector horror comics, and two loyal English Setters.

Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon (2024) review

Space-based solar power may be one step closer to reality, thanks to this key test (video)

NASA ends CloudSat Earth-observing mission after 18 years

Most Popular

• 2 Earth's weird 'quasi-moon' Kamo'oalewa is a fragment blasted out of big moon crater
• 3 Fortnite launches to the moon in new 'Lunar Horizons' simulation game
• 4 NASA astronauts enter quarantine for 1st crewed Boeing Starliner launch on May 6
• 5 Building rockets and looking for life on Venus: Q&A with Rocket Lab's Peter Beck

• The Contents
• The Making of
• Where Are They Now
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Q & A with Ed Stone

golden record

Where are they now.

• frequently asked questions
• Q&A with Ed Stone

Mission Status

Instrument status.

Where are the Voyagers now?

To learn more about Voyager, zoom in and give the spacecraft a spin. View the full interactive experience at Eyes on the Solar System . Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

View Voyager

Space Flight Operations Schedule (SFOS)

SFOS files showing Voyager activity on Deep Space Network (DSN)

2024 Tracking Schedule

2023 tracking schedule, 2022 tracking schedule, 2021 tracking schedule, 2020 tracking schedule, 2019 tracking schedule, 2018 tracking schedule, 2017 tracking schedule, 2016 tracking schedule, 2015 tracking schedule, 2014 tracking schedule, 2013 tracking schedule, 2012 tracking schedule, 2011 tracking schedule, 2010 tracking schedule, 2009 tracking schedule, 2008 tracking schedule, 2007 tracking schedule, 2006 tracking schedule, 2005 tracking schedule, 2004 tracking schedule, 2003 tracking schedule, 2002 tracking schedule, 2001 tracking schedule, 2000 tracking schedule, 1999 tracking schedule, 1998 tracking schedule, 1997 tracking schedule, 1996 tracking schedule, 1995 tracking schedule, 1994 tracking schedule.

Voyager 1 and Voyager 2

Where are they now.

Both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have reached "interstellar space" and each continue their unique journey deeper into the cosmos. In NASA's Eyes on the Solar System app, you can see the actual spacecraft trajectories of the Voyagers updated every five minutes.

Mission Status

Instrument status.

Voyager 1 Present Position

Voyager 2 present position, voyager's grand tour: 1977 - today.

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

• Backchannel
• Newsletters
• WIRED Insider
• WIRED Consulting

Stephen Clark, Ars Technica

How NASA Repaired Voyager 1 From 15 Billion Miles Away

Engineers have partially restored a 1970s-era computer on NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft after five months of long-distance troubleshooting , building confidence that humanity's first interstellar probe can eventually resume normal operations.

Several dozen scientists and engineers gathered Saturday in a conference room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, or connected virtually, to wait for a new signal from Voyager 1. The ground team sent a command up to Voyager 1 on Thursday to recode part of the memory of the spacecraft's Flight Data Subsystem (FDS) , one of the probe's three computers.

“In the minutes leading up to when we were going to see a signal, you could have heard a pin drop in the room,” said Linda Spilker, project scientist for NASA's two Voyager spacecraft at JPL. “It was quiet. People were looking very serious. They were looking at their computer screens. Each of the subsystem (engineers) had pages up that they were looking at, to watch as they would be populated.”

Finally, a Breakthrough

Launched nearly 47 years ago, Voyager 1 is flying on an outbound trajectory more than 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) from Earth, and it takes 22.5 hours for a radio signal to cover that distance at the speed of light. This means it takes nearly two days for engineers to uplink a command to Voyager 1 and get a response.

In November, Voyager 1 suddenly stopped transmitting its usual stream of data containing information about the spacecraft's health and measurements from its scientific instruments. Instead, the spacecraft's datastream was entirely unintelligible. Because the telemetry was unreadable, experts on the ground could not easily tell what went wrong. They hypothesized the source of the problem might be in the memory bank of the FDS.

There was a breakthrough last month when engineers sent up a novel command to “poke” Voyager 1's FDS to send back a readout of its memory. This readout allowed engineers to pinpoint the location of the problem in the FDS memory . The FDS is responsible for packaging engineering and scientific data for transmission to Earth.

After a few weeks, NASA was ready to uplink a solution to get the FDS to resume packing engineering data. This datastream includes information on the status of the spacecraft—things like power levels and temperature measurements. This command went up to Voyager 1 through one of NASA's large Deep Space Network antennae on Thursday.

Then, the wait for a response. Spilker, who started working on Voyager right out of college in 1977, was in the room when Voyager 1's signal reached Earth on Saturday.

“When the time came to get the signal, we could clearly see all of a sudden, boom, we had data, and there were tears and smiles and high fives,” she told Ars. “Everyone was very happy and very excited to see that, hey, we're back in communication again with Voyager 1. We're going to see the status of the spacecraft, the health of the spacecraft, for the first time in five months.”

Matt Jancer

Andy Greenberg

Kathy Gilsinan

Amanda Hoover

Throughout the five months of troubleshooting, Voyager's ground team continued to receive signals indicating the spacecraft was still alive. But until Saturday, they lacked insight into specific details about the status of Voyager 1.

“It’s pretty much just the way we left it,” Spilker said. “We're still in the initial phases of analyzing all of the channels and looking at their trends. Some of the temperatures went down a little bit with this period of time that's gone on, but we're pretty much seeing everything we had hoped for. And that's always good news.”

Relocating Code

Through their investigation, Voyager's ground team discovered that a single chip responsible for storing a portion of the FDS memory had stopped working, probably due to either a cosmic ray hit or a failure of aging hardware. This affected some of the computer's software code.

“That took out a section of memory,” Spilker said. “What they have to do is relocate that code into a different portion of the memory, and then make sure that anything that uses those codes, those subroutines, know to go to the new location of memory, for access and to run it.”

Only about 3 percent of the FDS memory was corrupted by the bad chip, so engineers needed to transplant that code into another part of the memory bank. But no single location is large enough to hold the section of code in its entirety, NASA said.

So the Voyager team divided the code into sections for storage in different places in the FDS. This wasn't just a copy-and-paste job. Engineers needed to modify some of the code to make sure it will all work together. “Any references to the location of that code in other parts of the FDS memory needed to be updated as well,” NASA said in a statement.

Newer NASA missions have hardware and software simulators on the ground, where engineers can test new procedures to make sure they do no harm when they uplink commands to the real spacecraft. Due to its age, Voyager doesn't have any ground simulators, and much of the mission's original design documentation remains in paper form and hasn't been digitized.

“It was really eyes-only to look at the code,” Spilker said. “So we had to triple check. Everybody was looking through and making sure we had all of the links coming together.”

This was just the first step in restoring Voyager 1 to full functionality. “We were pretty sure it would work, but until it actually happened, we didn't know 100 percent for sure,” Spilker said.

“The reason we didn’t do everything in one step is that there was a very limited amount of memory we could find quickly, so we prioritized one data mode (the engineering data mode), and relocated only the code to restore that mode,” said Jeff Mellstrom, a JPL engineer who leads the Voyager 1 “tiger team” tasked with overcoming this problem.

“The next step, to relocate the remaining three actively used science data modes, is essentially the same,” Mellstrom said in a written response to Ars. “The main difference is the available memory constraint is now even tighter. We have ideas where we could relocate the code, but we haven’t yet fully assessed the options or made a decision. These are the first steps we will start this week.”

It could take “a few weeks” to go through the sections of code responsible for packaging Voyager 1's science data in the FDS, Spilker said.

That will be the key payoff, Spilker said. Voyager 1 and its twin spacecraft, Voyager 2, are the only operating probes flying in the interstellar medium, the diffuse gas between the stars. Their prime missions are long over. Voyager 1 flew by Jupiter and Saturn in 1979 and 1980, then got a gravitational boost toward the outer edge of the Solar System. Voyager 2 took a slower trajectory and encountered Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

For the past couple of decades, NASA has devoted Voyager's instruments to studying cosmic rays, the magnetic field, and the plasma environment in interstellar space. They're not taking pictures anymore. Both probes have traveled beyond the heliopause, where the flow of particles emanating from the Sun runs into the interstellar medium.

But any scientific data collected by Voyager 1 since November 14 has been lost. The spacecraft does not have the ability to store science data onboard. Voyager 2 has remained operational during the outage of Voyager 1.

Scientists are eager to get their hands on Voyager 1's science data again. “With the results we got on Saturday, we have new confidence that we can put together the pieces we need to now get back the science data,” Spilker said.

“One thing I'm particularly excited about—there's this feature in the Voyager 1 data. We nicknamed it Pressure Front 2,” Spilker said. “Pressure Front 2 is a jump in both the density of the plasma around the spacecraft and the magnetic field. It's lasted for three-and-a-half years.”

“We'd like to see, is this still there?” she continued. “It's different from what we've seen in the past, and we're trying to figure out, is it some influence coming from the Sun, or is it actually something coming from interstellar space that's creating this feature? So we'd like to see it again, get more data, and be able to study it more carefully.”

This story originally appeared on Ars Technica .

You Might Also Like …

In your inbox: Will Knight's Fast Forward explores advances in AI

Hackers found a way to open 3 million hotel keycard locks

A couple decided to decarbonize their home. Here's what happened

A deepfake nude generator reveals a chilling look at its victims

Are you noise sensitive? Here's how to turn the volume down a little

Matt Reynolds

Emily Mullin

David Kushner

Rachel Lance

Jessica Rawnsley

Rhett Allain

• Bishop Airlock
• Satellite Launch Services
• Astronaut Health & Medicine
• Mission Management, Ops, & Integration
• Advanced Systems
• Research & Tech Payloads
• Technical Resources
• In Space Servicing & Assembly
• Satellite and Spacecraft Subsystems
• Electro-Optics, Guidance & Navigation
• Digital Systems
• Signals Intelligence
• TALIX: Tactical Precision
• Ground Launch Support

© Copyright. All rights reserved.

Legal & Privacy Notices

Voyager Space and Airbus Finalize Starlab Space LLC Joint Venture

Space exploration companies finalize creation of transatlantic joint venture, achieves critical program milestone

DENVER ,  Jan. 9, 2024  /PRNewswire/ —  Voyager Space  (Voyager) and Airbus, global leaders in space exploration, today announced they have completed the transaction to create Starlab Space LLC, a transatlantic joint venture that will design, build, and operate the Starlab commercial space station. Alongside the joint venture execution, the Starlab team completed the station-level System Definition Review (SDR), a critical milestone assessing the technical and programmatic accountability of the program.

“Our sights are set on powering the commercial space revolution, and it’s crystal clear we’re leading the way for commercial low-Earth orbit,” said  Matthew Kuta , President, Voyager Space. “Through our joint venture with Airbus, teaming agreements with Northrop Grumman and Hilton, and continued success in meeting critical milestones, Starlab is setting the new standard for commercial space.”

In  August 2023 , Voyager and Airbus first  announced  an agreement to form a transatlantic joint venture to support a continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit and a seamless transition of microgravity science and research opportunities in the post-International Space Station era. In  October 2023 , Voyager  announced  a teaming agreement with Northrop Grumman to develop fully autonomous rendezvous and docking technology for Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft and provide cargo resupply services for Starlab.

“The International Space Station inspired global cooperation to a level never imagined possible in space,” said  Jean-Marc Nasr , Head of Space Systems at Airbus. “Starlab will be no different. This joint venture solidifies our unwavering commitment to reimagining the future of commercial space alongside Voyager, anchoring Starlab to European and American ambitions and pioneering the future of humanity in space.”

In addition to the US entity, which has authorities to operate in  the United States  and with US government agencies, Starlab is expected to have a European affiliated joint venture to directly serve the European Space Agency and its member state space agencies.

Nanoracks LLC, part of Voyager’s Exploration Segment, was awarded the largest of three Commercial LEO Destinations Space Act Agreements from NASA in  December 2021  to create Starlab, a continuously crewed, free-flying space station to serve NASA and a global customer base of space agencies and researchers. The Starlab team has advanced through multiple milestones over the past year, including the successful completion of the SDR and the earlier completion of both the on-orbit science park and the station-level System Requirements Review.

About Starlab Space 

Starlab Space LLC is a transatlantic joint venture between Voyager Space and Airbus that is designing, building, and will operate the Starlab commercial space station. Starlab will serve a global customer base of space agencies, researchers, and companies, ensuring a continued human presence in low-Earth orbit and a seamless transition of microgravity science and research from the International Space Station into the new commercial space station era.

For more information on Starlab, visit the Starlab website at  www.starlab-space.com  and follow us on social media at @Starlab_Space ( X ,  Instagram ) and @Starlab ( Linkedin ).

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements.” All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including those with respect to Voyager Space, Inc.’s and Starlab’s (the “Company’s”) mission statement and growth strategy, are “forward-looking statements.”  Although the Company’s management believes that such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee that such expectations are, or will be, correct. These forward-looking statements involve many risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company’s future results to differ materially from those anticipated.  Potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, general economic conditions and conditions affecting the industries in which the Company operates; the uncertainty of regulatory requirements and approvals; and the ability to obtain necessary financing on acceptable terms or at all. Readers should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve these known and unknown uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Company’s control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects the Company’s current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

SOURCE Starlab