MDA Space Joins Starlab Space as Strategic Partner, Equity Owner in Commercial Space Station Joint Venture
June 5, 2024 | PRNewswireEstimated reading time: 2 minutes

Starlab Space LLC (Starlab Space), the global joint venture between Voyager Space, Airbus, and Mitsubishi Corporation, today welcomed MDA Space Ltd. (TSX:MDA), a trusted mission partner to the rapidly expanding global space industry, as a strategic partner and equity owner in Starlab Space. The Starlab US-led partnership continues to expand, extending the joint venture's global reach into Canada.
As a global leader in human-rated space robotics, MDA Space is synonymous with excellence and innovation, pioneering groundbreaking technologies that have shaped and set the standard for the space robotics industry. As the developer of the Canadarm family of robotics that have provided mission critical support to astronauts and mission operators on the International Space Station for more than two decades, MDA Space will play a pivotal role in Starlab's development. The company joins the Starlab team to provide the full range of external robotics, robotics interfaces and robotic mission operations to the station, including its recently launched full suite of scalable and modular robotics solutions, MDA SKYMAKER™, which can be tailored to support a diverse range of missions.
"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."
"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," said Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Space. "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 addition of MDA Space to the Starlab Space team reinforces the joint venture's commitment to assembling an international consortium of strategic and high-profile companies with flight heritage and proven experience, including Voyager Space, Airbus, and Mitsubishi Corporation, further expanding Starlab Space's global partner network set to expand the commercial space economy. The U.S., European, Japanese, and Canadian industry partners enable the continuation of the International Space Station partner network via commercial entities.
In addition to the joint venture partners, Starlab Space has a strategic teaming agreement with Northrop Grumman, a design and experience partnership with Hilton Hotels, and has secured a launch contract with SpaceX for its Starship vehicle.
Testimonial
"In a year when every marketing dollar mattered, I chose to keep I-Connect007 in our 2025 plan. Their commitment to high-quality, insightful content aligns with Koh Young’s values and helps readers navigate a changing industry. "
Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
Honeywell-Led Consortium Receives UK Government Funding to Revolutionize Aerospace Manufacturing
09/02/2025 | HoneywellA consortium led by Honeywell has received UK Government funding for a project that aims to revolutionize how critical aerospace technologies are manufactured in the UK through the use of AI and additive manufacturing.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
08/29/2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007This week, we bring you Global Electronics Association’s Chris Mitchell’s government relations column on—you guessed it—trade deals. TTM is balancing its facilities between East and West. The Global Electronics Association released July numbers for North American PCB shipments, and the news is good. Meanwhile, the corresponding report for EMS might seem like bad news, but that’s misleading. Be sure to look deeper for the rest of the story. Finally, for a bit space-science palate cleansing, I’m sharing news of the latest launch of NASA’s X-37B.
Boeing-built X-37B Spaceplane Launches, Beginning Eighth Mission
08/26/2025 | BoeingThe Boeing-built X 37B Orbital Test Vehicle launched its eighth mission, lifting off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The vehicle is healthy on orbit and proceeding with standard checkout.
TI Semiconductors Enable Advanced Earth-observation Capabilities of ISRO’s First-of-its-kind NISAR Mission
08/25/2025 | Texas InstrumentsTexas Instruments (TI) semiconductors are enabling the radar imaging and scientific exploration payloads for the NASA-Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) synthetic aperture radar (NISAR) satellite, which was recently launched into orbit.
Rocket Lab Announces Expanded U.S. Investments for National Security Programs and Semiconductor Manufacturing
08/25/2025 | BUSINESS WIRERocket Lab Corporation, a global leader in launch services and space systems, announced it is boosting its U.S. investments to expand semiconductor manufacturing capacity and provide supply chain security for space-grade solar cells and electro-optical sensors for national security space missions.