Bridenstine has been serving as chairman of Voyager Spaces advisory board since April 2021.
Starlab Space, the transatlantic joint venture between Voyager Space (Voyager) and Airbus, has announced the appointment of Jim Bridenstine to its Board of Directors. The former NASA Administrator is set to play a pivotal role in guiding Starlab Space as it pursues its vision of constructing a continuously crewed, free-flying space station.
Speaking about the appointment, Dylan Taylor, Chairman and CEO of Voyager Space, said: “Airbus and Voyager are proud to welcome Jim Bridenstine to Starlab’s Board of Directors. His unparalleled expertise as a head of agency, decorated veteran, civil servant, and leader across the defence and space industries will be critical to Starlab’s success. It’s an honour to have him guide our team as we usher in a new era of the commercial space economy.”
Bridenstine, who served as NASA’s 13th Administrator, led the agency in advancing American aeronautic, science, and space exploration objectives. His achievements included spearheading NASA’s new human lunar exploration mission, the Artemis programme. Before his tenure at NASA, Bridenstine was elected in 2012 to represent Oklahoma’s First Congressional District, where he served on the Armed Services and the Science, Space and Technology Committees.
Bridenstine said: “I’m thrilled to join Starlab’s Board of Directors and help lead this joint venture from the start. The future of space exploration is already here, with Starlab at the forefront, and I look forward to contributing meaningfully to the company’s powerful mission.”
Bridenstine’s appointment comes at a significant juncture for Starlab Space, marked by major programme milestones, including the completion of the Systems Requirements Review and System Definition Review. The company has also recently announced a teaming agreement with Northrop Grumman, collaboration with the European Space Agency, and two demonstration missions on the International Space Station. Key partners in the venture include Hilton Hotels and The Ohio State University.
Starlab, envisioned as a continuously crewed, free-flying space station, is set to serve a global customer base of space agencies, researchers, and companies. The project aims to ensure a sustained human presence in low-Earth orbit and facilitate the seamless transition of microgravity research from the International Space Station into the new commercial space station era.
