European aeronautics company Airbus Defence and Space (Airbus) and space exploration startup Voyager Space have announced a collaboration to work on the International Space Station’s (ISS) successor.

Commercial space station Starlab will succeed ISS, which NASA has said will be decommissioned by 2031, and the companies said their collaboration paves the way for a transatlantic joint venture to develop, build, and operate the new space station.

The companies added that the US-led joint venture will bring together “world-class leaders” in the space domain and serve to further unite American and European interests in space exploration.

“We are proud to charter the future of space stations with Airbus,” said Voyager president Matthew Kuta. “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.”

NASA awarded Voyager a $160 million grant under its Space Act Agreement (SAA) in 2021, with the grant coming as part of NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program.

At the time, NASA said its 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.

“This transatlantic venture with footprints on both sides of the ocean aligns the interests of both ourselves and Voyager and our respective space agencies,” said Jean-Marc Nasr, head of space systems at Airbus.

He added: “This pioneers continued European and American leadership in space that takes humanity forward.”

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