MDA Space joins Starlab Space as partner in commercial space station venture

HOUSTON - Starlab Space LLC, the global joint venture between Voyager Space, Airbus, and Mitsubishi Corporation, announced MDA Space Ltd. in Brampton, Ontario as a new strategic partner and equity owner in Starlab Space. 

MDA Space, known for developing the Canadarm family of robotics used on the International Space Station for over two decades, will play a key role in the development of Starlab, which is making a commercial space station. The company will provide external robotics, robotics interfaces, and robotic mission operations to the station, including its scalable and modular robotics solutions, MDA SKYMAKER.

"With MDA Space joining Starlab, we're not just embracing innovation, we're wielding it," said Tim Kopra, CEO of Starlab Space and former NASA astronaut. "Having experienced firsthand the exceptional reliability and versatility of robotic technologies developed by MDA Space during my time on the International Space Station, I am confident that this partnership will drive innovation and unlock new possibilities for Starlab. MDA Space robotic technologies, which have long been a cornerstone of space exploration, will be integral to our operations, ensuring precision and excellence in every endeavor."

Related: Mitsubishi joins commercial space station venture Starlab

Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Space, highlighted the strategic nature of the collaboration. "Our integration into the Starlab Space team is more than a program collaboration—it strategically fuses together highly complementary and best-in-class expertise with the higher purpose of accelerating the space economy on Earth and in orbit. It is also a validation of the capability and value that MDA SKYMAKER offers to the emerging commercial space exploration and infrastructure market, and the high-level of trust and confidence the industry has in MDA Space robotics."

The inclusion of MDA Space in the Starlab team underscores the joint venture's aim of creating an international consortium of strategic partners, including Voyager Space, Airbus, and Mitsubishi Corporation. This collaboration aims to continue the legacy of the International Space Station through commercial entities, with partners from the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Canada.