BioServe with 110+ ISS missions over nearly four decades, will fly its flight-proven SABL incubators aboard Starlab to support biological research and commercial biotechnology applications in microgravity
HOUSTON – August 5, 2026 – Starlab Space LLC, the commercial space station developer expanding access to low Earth orbit research, announced the reservation of space by University of Colorado Boulder’s BioServe Space Technologies, a leader in microgravity life sciences research and payload development. The collaboration will support continued biological research and commercial applications in space as the industry transitions beyond the International Space Station.
Through the agreement, Starlab will host two of BioServe’s Space Automated Bioproduct Laboratory (SABL) incubators aboard its commercial platform. These incubators enable a wide range of experiments requiring active temperature control from -5°C to +43°C as well as CO2 regulation, supporting both fundamental research and applied biotechnology development in microgravity.
BioServe brings decades of experience supporting high-quality microgravity research across government, academic and commercial programs. By integrating its flight-proven incubation systems into Starlab’s platform, this reservation enables continued access to reliable research infrastructure for experiments ranging from cell biology to pharmaceutical development and other life sciences applications.
“BioServe’s mission since its inception has been to partner with industry, academia and government to develop new and improved products and processes through microgravity research,” said Stefanie Countryman, Director, BioServe Space Technologies. “Ensuring that we can continue this mission after the retirement of the ISS is essential to our long-term success and to the success of our partners over the next decade. Starlab presents an exceptional opportunity and platform for us to carry this work forward and achieve these goals.”
“BioServe has been a cornerstone of life sciences research in microgravity for decades,” said Marshall Smith, CEO of Starlab. “By integrating proven systems like SABL into Starlab, we’re enabling continued access to the tools researchers rely on while expanding opportunities for new discoveries and commercial applications in orbit.”
The announcement builds on Starlab’s growing life sciences ecosystem, where microgravity creates conditions that reveal new insights into medicines, materials and biological systems. By enabling controlled experimentation in low Earth orbit, researchers can evaluate performance limits, refine formulations and advance product development pathways that may be difficult to replicate on Earth.
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 BioServe Space Technologies
BioServe Space Technologies is a Center within the Ann and HJ Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences department at the University of Colorado Boulder. Since its inception in 1987, BioServe has designed, built, and flown hundreds of microgravity life science research experiments and hardware on over 110 spaceflight missions. BioServe has a full suite of spaceflight-certified hardware available for use by its customers and partners. Past partners include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, Universities, NIH, NASA-funded and other government agency researchers. BioServe is a full-service, turn-key organization that enables its customers and partners to focus solely on research while BioServe manages all other activities required to successfully fly experiments in microgravity.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Starlab Space
Melissa Price, melissaprice@griffincg.com