Pathways to Space Commercialization

Starlab Space and the Center for Space and Aviation Switzerland and Liechtenstein Call for Proposals

Starlab Space and the Center for Space and Aviation Switzerland and Liechtenstein (CSA) are seeking proposals for investigations that use the unique microgravity environment to generate value on Earth. This Call for Proposals (CFP) supports teams and organizations seeking to mature scientific, technical, process or business concepts through access to microgravity aboard the International Space Station (ISS), with the ultimate goal of advancing potential applications, commercialization and future in-space operations.

Space-enabled concepts require extensive data and experimentation in microgravity to demonstrate feasibility, assess potential return on investment, and improve scientific, technical or process performance. Through this initiative, Starlab aims to help organizations generate the evidence needed to advance promising concepts toward viable applications, commercialization and potential future operations aboard Starlab.

Eligible research areas include, but are not limited to:

• Microorganisms
• Mammalian cells and tissues
• Viruses and bacteria
• Protein crystal growth
• Fluid dynamics and mixing
• Biomaterials
• Small plants/seed germination

Objective of the Call

The objective of this CFP is to support teams that need access to space to mature their microgravity-based science, engineering, processes and/or business models. The resulting data and insights are intended to establish clearer evidence of the potential benefits of microgravity within specific market segments and advance concepts toward future commercialization or utilization.

Through this opportunity, Starlab aims to:

• Enable researchers and technology developers to obtain microgravity-based data
• Support investigations that interrogate the advantages of microgravity compared to terrestrial approaches
• Reduce barriers to entry for fields where limited microgravity data currently constrains engagement
• Contribute to building a thriving and sustainable community of microgravity users
• Identify promising investigation fields suitable for upscaling by third parties aboard the Starlab Space Station

How to Apply

Download the full CFP below for eligibility, key dates and proposal requirements. This call will use a two-step proposal process. Step-1 proposals are due Friday, Oct. 9, 2026 by 23:59:59 Eastern Time. Proposals should be submitted through the form below as one single document. Do not include confidential, proprietary or trade secret information in your submission.

Questions

Please send your questions before Friday, Sept. 25 to: StarlabCFP@starlab-space.com. Please be aware that for fairness and transparency, each question received and the provided answer may be included in a publicly available Questions & Answers (Q&A) section on this proposal home page for all proposers to see (so do not include confidential, proprietary, trade secret or other sensitive information in your question).