Elethron will deploy its autonomous ĀTAR materials-processing platform aboard Starlab to develop and optimize advanced semiconductor materials for next-generation electronics.
HOUSTON – September 29, 2026 – Starlab Space LLC, the commercial space station developer expanding access to low Earth orbit research and manufacturing, today announced a payload reservation from Elethron, an advanced materials and process engineering company developing high-performance crystalline materials for semiconductor applications. The reservation will provide Elethron with a pathway to demonstrate and operate its ĀTAR in-space materials-processing platform aboard Starlab.
Through the reservation, Elethron will deploy ĀTAR, an autonomous and modular platform designed to support crystal growth and materials processing in microgravity. The system will enable Elethron to use the microgravity environment to develop and optimize materials for applications including power electronics, RF systems, integrated photonics, sensing and extreme-environment electronics.
By operating ĀTAR aboard Starlab, Elethron will be able to conduct materials-processing activities during the six-month pilot, generating process data and operational experience that may inform future materials-processing efforts toward downstream qualification and integration. Its modular architecture uses interchangeable Smart Cartridges, allowing the platform to support different materials processes and customers without requiring a complete payload redesign between campaigns. Starlab will provide important infrastructure as Elethron expands ĀTAR’s deployment in LEO.
“Microgravity has shown considerable potential in reducing defect formation and improving compositional uniformity as a crystal forms,” said Dr. Nick Bailey, Technical Director and Co-Founder of Elethron. “These are among the primary factors for achieving higher electronic and optical performance in next-generation semiconductor materials and devices, and ĀTAR allows us to extend our work on these materials into microgravity.”
“Advanced semiconductor materials are foundational in developing next generation electronics in space and terrestrial systems,” said Jonathan Volk, Starlab’s director of advanced materials applications and director of growth for Voyager Technologies’ VISTA Space Park. “Elethron’s ĀTAR platform demonstrates how Starlab can support the transition from materials research in microgravity to repeatable processing capabilities in orbit.”
The announcement builds on Starlab’s growing advanced manufacturing ecosystem, where microgravity creates opportunities to develop materials and processes that can support new capabilities both in space and on Earth. By providing a commercial platform for repeated research, development and manufacturing campaigns, Starlab is designed to demonstrate the process of moving promising technologies from initial demonstration toward scalable in-space operations.
Starlab’s market-driven business model is designed to reduce cost, complexity and risk for researchers and commercial partners. Its single-launch, no-assembly-required architecture enables full certification and operational readiness within weeks from launch, minimizing delays and maximizing efficiency for payload customers. Through its joint venture partners, customers can conduct research aboard the International Space Station today, ensuring a seamless transition to Starlab as its next-generation capabilities come online.
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About Starlab
Starlab Space is a U.S.-led, global joint venture among Voyager Technologies (NYSE: VOYG), Airbus, Mitsubishi Corporation, MDA Space, Palantir Technologies, and Space Applications Services, with strategic partners including Hilton, Journey, Northrop Grumman, and The Ohio State University. Starlab is developing a next-generation, AI-enabled commercial space station, aiming to ensure continued human presence in low-Earth orbit and a seamless transition of microgravity science and research alongside the retirement of the International Space Station. Starlab’s advanced, user-driven design and robust capabilities make it a premier platform for scientific discovery and technological advancement in space. For more information, visit starlab-space.com.
About Elethron
Elethron is an advanced materials and process engineering company specializing in proprietary crystal-growth processes, high-performance seeds and ingot materials for advanced substrates and ultra-wide-bandgap applications.
It combines materials R&D with microgravity process engineering to develop and optimize a portfolio of crystalline materials for applications across power electronics, RF systems, integrated photonics, sensing and extreme-environment electronics.
ĀTAR is Elethron’s autonomous, modular in-space materials-processing lab for microgravity research and manufacturing. Designed for deployment on station-class and free-flyer platforms in low Earth orbit, it supports Elethron’s own materials-development and commercialization programs while providing materials-processing infrastructure for industrial, research and government partners.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Starlab Space
Melissa Price, melissaprice@griffincg.com
Elethron
Hamid Soorghali, Hamid.Soorghali@Elethron.com