ISS to Starlab: The Future of Commercial Space Stations and Global Policy
Day: Tuesday 30 September
Time: 15:45 - 16:15 AEST
Location: Parkside 2
As a new era of human presence in space approaches, the imminent deployment of commercial space stations by private companies like Axiom, Voyager, and others signals a profound shift in how space is accessed, governed, and utilized. With the International Space Station approaching its planned retirement in 2030, the world stands on the threshold of a transformative era: the rise of permanently crewed commercial space stations. These platforms are poised to complement, and ultimately succeed, the ISS, ushering in a new phase of LEO activity driven by commercial investment, international partnerships, national security implications, and expanded scientific and research opportunity.
But is global policy ready for this transition? What frameworks will govern the use, safety, and sustainability of these private outposts? In this 30-minute discussion, a diverse panel—including a NASA representative, an Australian space industry leader, leading American commercial station developer Starlab, and moderator from Voyager Technologies—will explore how U.S. and international policies are evolving to accommodate this leap into commercially-led space stations, address issues such as sovereignty, regulation, liability, and collaboration, and identify the gaps that must be closed to ensure that the next generation of space stations serves the broadest possible benefit to humanity.
With a focus on the U.S.-led Starlab project—one of the most advanced Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) set to succeed the ISS—this discussion will highlight how the station, backed by Voyager, Airbus, Mitsubishi, MDA, Hilton, and Palantir, is designed for both civil and dual-use missions, including national security use cases, international research, and industrial innovation. As the global space community expands its activities in low-Earth orbit, the panel will explore whether current international policy frameworks are equipped to support a sustainable and collaborative orbital future. Panelists will evaluate how public-private collaboration, regulatory readiness, and international engagement must evolve to ensure that the next generation of commercial stations reflects broad global participation and builds upon the legacy of the ISS in advancing science, innovation, and human presence in space.
Moderator
Eric STALLMER
Executive Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Policy, Voyager Space Holdings Inc.
United States