CAPE CANAVERAL—Northrop Grumman is halting plans to develop and operate a free-flying commercial space station in low Earth orbit (LEO), and instead will join the Voyager Space-led Starlab program.
Northrop was one of four teams to win NASA funding for early development of commercial LEO platforms to host the agency’s microgravity research programs and technology demonstrations after the International Space Station (ISS) is decommissioned.
NASA on Oct. 4 said Northrop was withdrawing from its Space Act Agreement so the company can join the Starlab program, led by Voyager-owned Nanoracks, in partnership with Europe’s Airbus Defense and Space .
Northrop plans to provide cargo logistics and engineering services to support the Starlab station.
“Northrop Grumman has determined that its best strategy is to join the Nanoracks team,” Phil McAlister, NASA’s director of commercial space, said in a statement. “NASA respects and supports that decision. We continue to see a strong competitive landscape for future commercial destinations, and I am pleased that Northrop is staying with the program.”
Northrop in 2021 was awarded a milestone-based, $125.6 million agreement to develop its station. The company so far has received $36.6 million, NASA said.
“We are fully committed to the future of commercial LEO. Our new role with Starlab supports NASA’s initiatives to encourage commercial space station development as part of a growing LEO economy,” Steve Krein, Northrop vice president of Civil and Commercial Space, said in a statement.
“This collaboration is a major step forward for the Starlab program,” added Voyager Chairman and CEO Dylan Taylor. “Northrop Grumman’s technical capability and proven success in cargo resupply services will play a pivotal role as we accelerate Starlab’s development.”
NASA said it intends to take the remaining funding from Northrop’s agreement, along with other program funding, and add paid milestones to the remaining participants in the Commercial LEO Destinations program. In addition to Voyager, Blue Origin and Axiom Space previously won NASA funding for commercial space station development.
Negotiations are ongoing to determine additional milestones for the existing partners.
In a statement, Northrop said it intends to develop an upgraded version of its Cygnus cargo ship, which has been providing ISS resupply services since 2014. SpaceX also operates a supply line to the ISS and Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane is expected to join the ISS fleet next year.
“The parties also are exploring opportunities for Northrop Grumman to provide engineering services in support of the design and development of Starlab,” Northrop added.
“Under this teaming agreement, Voyager Space and Northrop Grumman agreed to a framework under which Northrop Grumman will perform services to upgrade its flight-proven Cygnus cargo vehicle with a fully autonomous docking system to support Starlab missions,” Voyager said in a statement.
Under the agreement, Northrop will provide Cygnus resupply missions over an initial five-year period to support future human spaceflight missions.
Cygnus spacecraft have so far completed 19 missions to the ISS, delivering more than 138,000 lb. of cargo.
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