Starlab Achieves Milestone as Production Begins; Isar Aerospace Prepares for First Orbital Launch; NASA Astronauts Return After Extended ISS Stay

The Starlab commercial space station project, a collaboration between Voyager Space and Airbus, has advanced to the production phase after a successful preliminary design review (PDR) with NASA. Starlab, designed to accommodate four astronauts, is slated for launch in 2028 aboard SpaceX's Starship. The PDR confirmed the station's design is technically sound and safe. The station will feature a robotic arm and microgravity experiment racks. Isar Aerospace is set to conduct its inaugural orbital launch attempt on March 20 from Andøya Spaceport in Norway, having secured a launch operator license from Norwegian regulators. The "Going Full Spectrum" mission will test the Spectrum rocket without any payloads. This launch marks Europe's first vertical orbital launch attempt, excluding Russia. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, along with Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, have returned to Earth after an extended stay on the International Space Station (ISS). Their mission, initially planned for a short duration, lasted over nine months due to issues with Boeing's Starliner capsule. The crew splashed down off the Florida coast after a 17-hour journey.