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The materials in this section are provided for general informational and educational purposes only. They do not constitute legal, regulatory, or government relations advice, and they should not be relied upon as a substitute for guidance from a qualified attorney or government relations professional. Reading these materials does not create an attorney-client or advisory relationship with VISTA, Voyager Technologies, or any Catalyst Partner. Laws, regulations, and agency policies change frequently, and how they apply depends on your specific circumstances. Always consult qualified counsel before making legal, compliance, or policy decisions. VISTA and Voyager Technologies make no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of this information and accept no liability for actions taken in reliance on it.
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About VISTA
VISTA Space Park
The nation's first purpose-built commercial space science park, adjacent to The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.
Mission
Building the infrastructure for commercial space
VISTA Space Park is designed to cluster space companies at the early and growth stages with the shared technical infrastructure, academic partnerships, and expert network they need to move faster. Co-location with Ohio State University gives tenants direct access to research faculty, graduate talent, and world-class laboratory facilities.
The park is a collaboration between Voyager Technologies, Ohio State, and a set of anchor tenants, including Starlab Space, who share the conviction that Columbus is the right place to build the next chapter of American space commerce.
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Co-develop research programs with VISTA tenants in propulsion, life sciences, robotics, and remote sensing. Access to tenant technical roadmaps is available through VISTA's collaboration framework.
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Access to Air Force Research Laboratory facilities, labs, and subject matter experts, extended to Catalyst Partners to foster dual-use innovation and accelerate commercialization of defense-adjacent research.
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Participate in quarterly tenant mixers, pitch days, and demo sessions. Position your firm in front of the companies most likely to need your services at the moment they need them.
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Knowledge-sharing of AFRL and Department of Work opportunities for VISTA members: SBIR/STTR solicitations, dual-use technology programs, and strategic contracting guidance distributed to partners first.
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Defense Pipeline Exposure
Sustained exposure to the defense pipeline of researchers and established companies in Ohio and partner locations, giving Catalyst Partners early visibility into programs before public solicitation.
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Founding Partner Benefits
As a founding Catalyst Partner, receive preferred listing, co-branding in VISTA materials, and tenant referral priority, plus first access to new tenant cohorts as VISTA grows toward 30 companies.
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How It Works Day to Day
No Two Days Are the Same
Government relations in the space sector is not a predictable function. Work spans meetings on Capitol Hill, engagement with executive agencies, coordination with international partners, participation in trade organizations, and outreach to peer companies, often all within the same week. Key committees may be quiet for months and then move very quickly with little warning, which means active monitoring and maintained relationships are essential at all times, not just when a specific issue arises.
Ongoing Committee Monitoring
The legislative landscape shifts without notice. Tracking relevant committee activity continuously is necessary to avoid being caught off guard when things accelerate.
Agency Engagement
Interactions extend beyond NASA to the Department of Commerce, the Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Department of State, particularly around export control and ITAR matters.
Industry Coordination
Trade organizations and peer companies are active participants in policy formation. Coordinated industry positions carry significantly more weight than individual company advocacy.
Long Funding Timelines
Budget conversations happen approximately one year in advance. Agencies routinely tell organizations it is too late for the current fiscal year, which makes early and sustained engagement the only viable strategy.
Key Committees and Agencies
Who Controls the Agenda
Understanding which bodies have authority over NASA activities, funding, and regulatory oversight is foundational to any government relations effort. Organizations that engage without this knowledge risk directing energy toward the wrong conversations at the wrong time.
Authorizing
The two primary authorizing committees for NASA activities are the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. These committees shape policy direction and set the legislative framework within which agencies operate.
Appropriations
Actual funding flows through the appropriations committees in both chambers, specifically through the Commerce, Justice, and Science subcommittees. A program can be authorized without being funded, so appropriations relationships are equally critical to maintain.
Export Control
Beyond NASA, companies operating in the space sector frequently interact with the Department of Commerce, the Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Department of State around export control obligations and ITAR classification issues, which carry significant compliance implications.
How Policy Engagement Works
Relationship-Based, Not Formal
Effective policy engagement in Congress bears little resemblance to formal petitioning. It is a relationship-driven process that begins long before any specific issue emerges and depends heavily on trust built over time. Showing up only when something is needed, or arriving without substantive content, rarely produces results.
Committee staff are among the most valuable relationships an organization can cultivate. They carry deep institutional knowledge of ongoing legislation, can identify bills that already address a given issue, and are often positioned to help draft new language. Treating staff engagement as seriously as member engagement is a hallmark of sophisticated government relations practice.
Socialize Before Formalizing
Most engagement begins by sharing an idea informally with a local Congressional representative, particularly one who sits on a relevant committee. This step builds familiarity before any formal ask is made.
Iterate on Complex Issues
Issues requiring new legal frameworks, such as insurance and indemnification for commercial space stations, demand repeated rounds of proposal sharing, feedback, and revision before any legislative progress becomes possible.
Attach to Larger Vehicles
Congress rarely passes standalone legislation in the current environment. Provisions are typically attached to larger legislative vehicles, which means timing and relationships are often more determinative than the strength of the underlying policy argument.
Regulatory Challenges
Obstacles to Watch
Two categories of challenge arise with particular frequency for commercial space companies: regulatory classification issues and ideological opposition from individual members of Congress. Neither can be fully anticipated, but both can be navigated more effectively with proactive preparation and experienced guidance.
ITAR and dual-use classifications are an active and evolving issue. Space-related items can be categorized as defense items by Commerce and State, creating significant compliance burdens that affect both operations and partnerships. These classifications are currently being reexamined. Organizations that engage proactively are better positioned to influence the outcome than those that wait and react.
Ideological Opposition
Congressional opposition is not always rooted in policy disagreement. Well-prepared, evidence-backed arguments can move people, but effective advocacy sometimes requires understanding what the opposing side actually wants before a workable compromise becomes visible.
Proactive Identification
The most effective approach to regulatory risk is identifying potential obstacles before they become entrenched. Reacting after a classification decision or legislative provision has already taken hold is significantly more difficult than engaging early when outcomes are still being shaped.
The Shift to Commercial Stations
What Congress Actually Cares About
Congressional support in the space sector ultimately comes down to three things, regardless of the technical merits of any given program. Work that delivers on all three is far more likely to sustain long-term political support than work that speaks only to scientific or economic value in the abstract.
Jobs
High-tech employment in a member's district is one of the most durable sources of Congressional interest and support.
Cost Savings
Programs that demonstrate fiscal responsibility are far easier to defend in appropriations discussions.
National Prestige
Work that advances American leadership in space, particularly relative to international competitors, carries significant bipartisan appeal.
The transition from the ISS model to privately operated commercial stations changes the advocacy landscape. Under the ISS framework, the industry largely shared common interests and could speak with a unified voice. As commercial stations develop with divergent business models, industry positions become more fragmented and collective advocacy becomes more difficult to sustain.
Advice for Companies Entering Space
How to Engage Effectively
Companies that attempt to navigate the government relations landscape without prior relationships or experienced support consistently find it harder than anticipated. The following reflects the practical reality of what effective engagement requires, and why going it entirely alone is rarely a viable path.
1
Build Relationships Before You Need Them
This is consistently cited as the hardest part of government relations, and the one that most organizations underestimate. Showing up with a specific ask before any relationship exists rarely produces results. Committees want substantive, ongoing engagement, not transactional updates. The time to build credibility is before an issue becomes urgent.
2
Invest in Dedicated Expertise
The most sophisticated companies either maintain internal government relations teams or retain external counsel with established Hill connections. The complexity of the regulatory and legislative environment, together with the degree to which outcomes depend on institutional knowledge and personal relationships, makes this investment consistently worthwhile.
3
Engage Through Trade Associations
Trade associations represent one of the most effective pathways available, particularly for smaller companies that cannot sustain a full government relations function independently. They facilitate bipartisan Hill meetings, aggregate company voices into positions committees genuinely want to hear, and provide access to relationships that would take years to build from scratch.
4
Come with Substance
Every engagement with a committee or agency should have a clear purpose and meaningful content. Generic updates or awareness-raising visits without a specific and well-prepared message consume goodwill without generating it. The standard for substantive engagement is higher than most first-time participants expect.
Building a Government Relations Capability
When and How to Get Serious About It
As a company grows and its regulatory exposure deepens, the question of how to structure a government relations capability becomes increasingly consequential. Ad hoc engagement, reaching out when an issue arises and going quiet when it passes, is rarely sufficient for organizations that depend on federal funding, operate under complex regulatory frameworks, or are seeking to influence policy outcomes that affect their business model.
Hiring a Government Relations Firm
For earlier-stage companies or those with intermittent needs, retaining an external firm is often the most effective starting point. A good firm brings established Hill relationships, agency familiarity, and strategic counsel across multiple issue areas. The key is selecting a firm with demonstrated experience in commercial space specifically, not a generalist practice without sector knowledge.
Building an Internal Team
As government relations needs become more continuous and the policy footprint expands, a dedicated internal team becomes the more sustainable path. An internal team develops deep institutional knowledge of the company's own programs, priorities, and constraints, and can represent those interests with a specificity that external counsel cannot always match.
The right time to invest in a government relations capability is before a critical issue forces the conversation. Organizations that wait until they face a regulatory problem, a funding shortfall, or an adverse legislative provision are already at a disadvantage. Establishing the function during a period of relative stability gives a company the runway to build the relationships and institutional credibility that effective advocacy requires.
Disclaimer
This article is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, regulatory, or government relations advice, and it should not be relied upon as a substitute for guidance from a qualified attorney or government relations professional. Reading this article does not create an attorney-client or advisory relationship with VISTA, Voyager Technologies, or any Catalyst Partner. Laws, regulations, and agency policies change frequently, and how they apply depends on your specific circumstances. Always consult qualified counsel before making legal, compliance, or policy decisions. VISTA and Voyager Technologies make no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of this information and accept no liability for actions taken in reliance on it.
9–10 months from contract signing to launch
How It Works
The Full Payload Pipeline
Following the ISS's transition to a National Laboratory around 2008–2009, the station's mission shifted from construction to utilization. Organizations access research time through a Space Act Agreement. The governing requirements are sufficiently technical and complex that most companies are not equipped to manage them independently, which is why implementation partners exist to handle the full pipeline on a client's behalf, from initial safety reviews through handoff to the cargo mission contractor.
Contract and Agreement
A Space Act Agreement is established and the launch timeline clock begins from the date of contract signing.
Safety Reviews
Multiple subject matter expert reviews are conducted against NASA's governing documents SSP 57000 and SSP 57003.
Testing and Verification
Hardware is tested, verified, and formally cleared for operation within a crewed vehicle environment.
Cargo Handoff
Operational procedures are finalized and the payload is transferred to the cargo mission contractor for launch integration.
Safety and Certification
NASA's Primary Concern: Containment
NASA's safety review process does not evaluate whether an experiment will succeed scientifically. It evaluates whether the payload is safe to operate aboard a crewed vehicle. The single most important design principle is containment. All materials are assessed for flammability and toxicity, and depending on the level of risk involved, a payload may require one, two, or three independent levels of containment before it is approved for flight.
NASA's two core governing documents, SSP 57000 and SSP 57003, define a safety framework that is extensive enough to be prohibitive for most organizations to interpret and apply on their own. Implementation partners bring established working relationships with NASA's subject matter expert community and a practical understanding of reviewer expectations, reducing the iteration required to clear each stage and significantly lowering the risk of costly delays.
Power Constraints. The station operates within a finite power budget, and the duration of a payload's power draw is evaluated just as carefully as its peak consumption. High-temperature processing equipment such as furnaces is feasible, but must be carefully designed around these limitations.
EMI Compliance. All payloads must meet electromagnetic interference standards to prevent disruption to station systems and other active experiments operating in the same environment.
Mechanical Integrity. Requirements include proper bolt retention, correct wire derating, appropriate fusing, no exposed sharp edges, no potential for static charge buildup, and vibration testing for any satellite payloads.
Off-Gassing and Chemical Byproducts. Any materials that may off-gas or produce chemical side products under operational conditions are subject to additional review, given the closed crewed environment of the station.
Regulatory Landscape
Licenses and Filings Beyond NASA
Depending on the nature of the payload, additional regulatory obligations may apply beyond NASA's internal requirements. These obligations span multiple federal agencies, each with its own application process, timeline, and compliance standards. An implementation partner with experience across these agencies can identify which filings apply, initiate them in parallel with payload development, and ensure nothing is missed.
FCC Licensing
Satellite deployments that communicate with ground stations are required to obtain FCC spectrum authorization prior to operation.
NTIA (Military Applications)
Payloads with military applications use NTIA for spectrum authorization in place of the FCC process.
NOAA Remote Sensing License
Any payload that conducts remote sensing or orbital imaging is required to hold a NOAA commercial remote sensing license.
Orbital Debris Assessment Report
All operators are required to file an ODAR as part of responsible end-of-life planning for any spacecraft or deployed object.
Cost and Funding
What Access to Orbit Actually Costs
Launch costs have declined dramatically compared to the shuttle era, when pricing could reach $10,000 per kilogram. Today, a 30-day experiment aboard the ISS can be conducted for $100,000 or less, making space-based research accessible to a far broader range of organizations than was previously possible.
ISS experiment (30-day mission)
<$100K
Compared to $10,000/kg during the shuttle era
Satellite deployment
$100K–$400K
Varies by satellite size and mission complexity
External platform work
$500K–$1M
Applicable to external and commercial station platforms
Primary funding pathways for early-stage organizations:
SBIR grants (approximately 1% of federal agency budgets)
National Science Foundation programs
Private and seed-stage investment
Research Types
Materials Science vs. Biology Payloads
Biology
Hardware requirements are generally simpler, often consisting of biological samples contained within standard labware such as Petri dishes.
The regulatory path is mature and well-understood by NASA's review teams.
Off-gassing and chemical interactions must still be reviewed carefully within a crewed environment.
Materials Science
A relatively nascent field with significant and growing opportunity as platform infrastructure matures.
Emerging commercial stations may be particularly well-suited for materials manufacturing, as external platform configurations can reduce crew exposure concerns.
Specialized processing facilities and a higher degree of safety management are required, making experienced implementation support especially critical for first-time operators.
Returning Samples
Onboard Analysis and Sample Return
For manufacturing applications, including semiconductor fabrication and microstructure analysis, returning samples to Earth with their structural integrity intact is a critical requirement. Current orbital infrastructure has limited onboard analytical capabilities, which means organizations often face the costly cycle of returning samples, conducting analysis on the ground, redesigning their approach, and relaunching.
Onboard analytical capability is one of the highest-value improvements anticipated from emerging commercial station platforms. The ability to test, observe results, and refine an experiment within a single mission, without the time and cost of a return-and-relaunch cycle, has the potential to fundamentally change the economics of in-space manufacturing research.
The Road Ahead
Designing for Scale from the Outset
One of the most common strategic errors made by early-stage space manufacturing companies is demonstrating a successful one-off product without a clear pathway to repeatability or commercial scale. Organizations that intend to manufacture specialty materials in space should design their processes and infrastructure for scalability from the beginning, even if initial missions are proof-of-concept in nature.
The growth of commercial space station capacity is central to making this feasible. As new platforms come online and implementation partners develop deeper operational expertise, the barriers that have historically limited throughput and repeatability are expected to diminish. Specialty materials manufacturing at meaningful commercial scale is projected to become feasible within approximately five years, and once the necessary infrastructure is in place, the pace of advancement in this field is expected to accelerate substantially.
Direct ESA Programs
Boost! Is the Front Door
The European Space Agency has developed many programs in recent years to set up a reliable path for companies to bring their projects to orbit, positioning itself as the main source of funding to look out for. The primary route to payload launch funding is the Boost! program, which funds a wide range of companies through their pre-commercial development. The program covers space transportation services broadly, from launch opportunities to in-space transport and return-from-space capabilities, and is organized into three elements.
Element 01
Transportation as a Service
Dedicated to commercial space transportation offered as a service.
Element 02
Participating-Country Support
Dedicated to supporting the member countries taking part in the program.
Element 03
Services Procurement
Dedicated to the procurement of space transportation services, the element tied to the European Flight Ticket Initiative.
FlightTicket
The European Flight Ticket Initiative
Attached to Boost!'s procurement element, the Flight Ticket Initiative provides co-funding of launch opportunities to European companies so they can fly services and test new satellite technologies in orbit. Applications are open, and companies must respond to a call for expression of interest to be considered.
National Programs
Country-Level Routes to Orbit
While ESA serves the general commercial space market, national programs across Europe fund projects that can be brought to the International Space Station, each with its own agency, focus areas, and application route.
DLR
Germany
DLR Projektträger — German Aerospace Center
One of the largest national programs with specific ties to the ISS. The DLR Projektträger funds German companies developing space technologies, conducting research in space for medicine or environmental applications, and pursuing research and innovation projects through the EU's Horizon Europe program.
ApplyTo access EU funding through the DLR Projektträger, contact the EU Bureau of the BMFTR or Germany's National Contact Points.
UKSA
United Kingdom
UK Space Agency Grant Calls
The UKSA offers guidance for companies seeking funding through the government's web page. Its "Apply for funding: space-related R&D, innovation and education" page maintains an updated list of open grant calls, including the National Space Innovation Programme and the Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund.
ApplyCheck the UKSA funding page for the current list of open grant calls.
CNES
France
Pulser Funding Program — CNES + ESA
France's national space agency runs the Pulser program in partnership with ESA. Applicants range from startups to mid-tier companies to subject-matter experts, and the program supports ventures through three phases:
Kickstart→Feasibility Study→Commercialization
Co-financing rate
0%50%80%100%
Co-financing ranges from 50% to 80% depending on the size of the organization applying to the program.
Getting Started
Match Your Company to a Program
Each of these programs is reachable through an open call. The right starting point depends on where your company is based, what you are flying, and how far along the venture is.
Program
Agency
Who It Serves
How to Enter
Boost!
ESA
Companies in pre-commercial development of space transportation services
Respond to a call for expression of interest
Flight Ticket Initiative
ESA
European companies flying services or testing satellite technologies in orbit
Co-funded launch opportunities through Boost!'s procurement element
DLR Projektträger
DLR · DE
German companies developing space technologies or conducting research in space
EU Bureau of the BMFTR or Germany's National Contact Points
Grant calls
UKSA · UK
Companies pursuing space-related R&D, innovation, and education
UKSA "Apply for funding" page
Pulser
CNES · FR
Startups, mid-tier companies, and subject-matter experts
CNES funding calls, co-financed at 50–80%
Test Before Flight
A Gravity Ladder Outside Your Door
The rarest asset in space research is a way to test in reduced gravity before committing to launch. VISTA tenants have a graduated path, from seconds of microgravity on the ground to sustained research in orbit.
Drop Towers
NASA Glenn Research Center Drop Towers
Through VISTA's partnership with NASA Glenn Research Center, tenants gain access to Glenn's drop tower facilities, where hardware and experiments experience brief periods of true microgravity in free fall. It is the fastest, most affordable way to validate fluid behavior, combustion phenomena, and experiment designs before committing to flight.
Available via NASA Glenn partnership
Parabolic Flight
The Ohio State University Airport, Next Door
The OSU airport sits directly adjacent to the VISTA property. That proximity opens the door for tenants to access potential parabolic flight campaigns in the future, extending microgravity exposure to repeated reduced-gravity windows without leaving the campus footprint.
Future capability
Orbit
ISS Today, Starlab Tomorrow
When ground and airborne testing are complete, Voyager's mission management carries tenant payloads to orbit, aboard the International Space Station now and Starlab as the next-generation commercial destination. One campus covers the full continuum from first concept to sustained microgravity.
Via Voyager mission management
Campus Access
The Ohio State Advantage
As VISTA's anchor hub, The Ohio State University brings the depth, scale, and academic capability that commercial space companies need to innovate quickly. For tenants, that translates into practical, physical access.
Facilities Agreement
Use University Facilities and Equipment
VISTA and OSU maintain an agreement that allows tenants to use facilities and equipment from the university. Instead of building duplicate lab capacity, tenants tap into instrumentation and infrastructure already operating on one of the nation's largest research campuses.
Research Depth
Work Beside a Translational Science Engine
OSU's strengths in engineering, aerospace systems, advanced manufacturing, materials science, and life sciences map directly onto the domains where microgravity delivers commercial value.
Workforce Pipeline
Recruit Where the Talent Is Trained
Locating on campus-adjacent property puts tenants at the front of a workforce pipeline of engineers and researchers, a core part of how VISTA accelerates workforce development alongside technology maturation.
State Incentives
JobsOhio's Customized Incentives
Ohio maintains a state-level incentive portfolio designed to jump-start business growth, from expansion and talent to innovation and capital investment. Programs relevant to VISTA tenants include:
Aerospace & Defense Opportunity ProgramEmpowers installations and aerospace and defense contractors to meet objectives supporting federal missions and national defense.
Economic Development GrantPromotes economic development, business expansion, and job creation.
Growth Loan FundFixed-rate financing for expansion projects at companies with limited access to capital.
Job Creation Tax CreditRefundable, performance-based credit calculated as a percent of created payroll, applied against commercial activity tax liability.
Ohio Site Inventory ProgramGrants and low-interest loans supporting speculative site and building development.
R&D Center GrantFacilitates new strategic corporate R&D centers in Ohio within JobsOhio's targeted industries.
R&D Investment LoanLow-interest loans paired with a tax credit for businesses building R&D capabilities and high-wage jobs.
Relocation IncentiveDirect financial incentives for employers expanding their workforce in STEM and technical occupations.
Revitalization ProgramLoans and grants bridging the financial gap in redeveloping brownfield sites.
Talent Acquisition Services ProgramIdentifies talent challenges and builds sustainable strategies for attracting, developing, and retaining world-class talent.
Workforce GrantFunds worker skill improvement, focused on training costs for new and retained employees.
The JobsOhio team works with businesses directly to identify which grants, funds, and tax incentives fit a specific project. The full assortment of offerings is at jobsohio.com/incentives.
Learn More
Talk to a Voyager SME About the Location
Have questions about the campus, facilities access, or what locating at VISTA would look like for your team? Voyager subject matter experts can walk you through the details. Send a request through the contact system and a VISTA representative will follow up with more information about the location.
Science Case
What Microgravity Enables
Decades of orbital research have established that when gravity-driven effects are removed, systems behave in ways that are commercially and scientifically valuable.
Biopharma
Protein Crystallization
Proteins grow into larger, more structurally uniform crystals, giving researchers sharper molecular data for targeted drug design.
Life Science
3D Cell Behavior
Cells aggregate into tissue-like three-dimensional structures and show altered gene expression, producing more realistic disease models.
Physics
Convection-Free Fluids
Fluid dynamics and combustion can be studied without convective flow, exposing fundamental behavior masked on Earth.
Materials
Sedimentation-Free Processing
Without settling and stratification, alloys form more purely and composites develop more uniform internal structure.
The precedent is commercial, not just academic. Pharmaceutical and consumer goods leaders have already run orbital R&D programs aboard the International Space Station, validating microgravity as a product development tool.
Platform
Station Fundamentals
Starlab is a permanently crewed station engineered around payload users, with utility interfaces similar to the ISS for a familiar transition.
500 km / 45°Orbit and inclination, with daily revisit over the most densely populated and scientifically valuable regions
4 to 8 crewProfessional astronauts supporting user payloads, expanding to eight during turnover missions
12 kWAverage payload power, with allocations scalable to individual payload needs
>1 GbpsHighly available, low-latency, redundant communication to ground at Final Orbital Capability
6 flights / yrThree cargo and three crew flights annually for regular access to and from station
Internal Lab
Internal Payload Laboratory
The IPL is where most microgravity research happens: a modular architecture of 13 Internal Payload Platforms across nearly 400 m³ of internal volume, with 130 Middeck Locker Equivalents of total capacity.
Power & Thermal
Configurable supply of 75–500 W per MDLE location, up to 2,000 W where required
Nominal IPL budget of 12 kW, peaking at 16 kW across all locations plus the external lab
Air and water cooling up to 2.4 kW per platform; two high-power platforms handle 4.8 kW each
Data & Compatibility
1 Gbps per platform on a 10 Gbps station backbone, over a secure VPN
In-orbit computation, image processing, and real-time links available as services
Heritage form factor support compatible with SSP 57000 (EXPRESS, EDR-II): a direct transition path for ISS veterans
Facility Suite
Matched to the Microgravity Effect
Up to 70 of the 130 MDLEs are assigned to specialized facilities. Each one exists to exploit a specific behavior of matter or biology in orbit.
Microgravity Effect
→
Starlab Facility
Cell culture, tissue-like 3D aggregation, and altered gene expression for drug development
→
Biological & Human Research FacilitiesIncubators, bio-fabrication, in-situ analysis, centrifuges
Crop science and food production in controlled orbital environments
→
Plant Research FacilityManaged water, nutrition, air, lighting, and temperature
Convection-free solidification for purer alloys and uniform structures
→
Material Science FacilityMultiple furnace types with high power, cooling, and stability
Fundamental fluid and combustion physics without gravity-driven flow
→
Physical Science FacilityPower, cooling, nitrogen, and vacuum resources
Safe handling of biological and material samples requiring containment
→
Glovebox Facility450 L utilization volume with two containment levels
Precision crystallography and imaging demanding a stable optical environment
→
Optical Analyses FacilityOptical bench and microscopes on high-grade vibration isolation
Sample preservation from experiment through return to ground
→
Cold Stowage FacilityOver 500 L refrigerated down to –80°C, plus 10 L cryogenic
External Lab
Beyond the Pressurized Volume
For payloads that need the true space environment or a view of Earth, the External Payload Laboratory provides 18 mounting locations across two platforms on the port and starboard sides of the station.
CapacityTwo External Payload Platforms, each hosting eight standard payloads and one large payload
EnvelopesStandard payloads up to 250 kg and 1 m³; large payloads up to 10,000 kg and 3 m³
ViewsAll six fields of view: ram, wake, nadir, zenith, port, and starboard
TransferRobotic arm installation from the visiting vehicle trunk or science airlock, with no EVA required
Power & DataAt least 4 kW nominal per platform, expandable via IPL power sharing; Ethernet at 10/100/1,000 Mbps
Representative External Payloads
Earth observation telescopes and cameras
Laser communication terminals
Edge computing hardware
Exposed materials research
Large-scale furnace and chip manufacturing
Getting There
Integration and Operations
Starlab's onboarding model is built to take users from initial proposal to in-orbit operations in under 12 months.
Propose
Submit all required data through a secure, AI-enabled digital portal that automates the preparation process.
Integrate
Work with payload integration centers located close to users, a benefit of Starlab's international ecosystem.
Operate
Run your payload from your own User Home Base connected to Starlab Mission Control, or hand operations to Starlab's team.
Return
Full lifecycle support through data management, dissemination, and hardware or sample return to ground.
Advanced analytics and AI run through every phase: optimizing mission scheduling, predicting anomalies, and extracting deeper insight from experimental data.
Microgravity research has an established track record in orbit, and Starlab is the successor platform designed to make it faster, more accessible, and commercially scalable. Learn more at starlab-space.com, or sign up through the customer portal to receive the Payload Users Guide.
Welcome to VISTA
Your Success Is Our Story
As a tenant of the Voyager Institute for Space, Technology and Advancement (VISTA), the first U.S. science park dedicated to in-space research, manufacturing and services, you are part of an ecosystem built to move ideas from research to real-world application. Located at The Ohio State University, VISTA connects tenants to Voyager's operational network, future platforms such as Starlab, and a community of partners across industry, academia and government.
When your company reaches a milestone or makes news, the Voyager Communications team is here to help you amplify it both inside Voyager and out to the wider market. This guide explains what we can do, when to reach out, and how to get started.
What We Can Do
How Voyager Communications Can Support You
From internal visibility to national media, the Voyager Communications team offers three categories of support for VISTA tenants.
Internal Promotion
Feature your milestone across Voyager's internal channels, including company newsletters, all-hands moments, and internal collaboration channels.
Raise your profile with Voyager leadership and across our business segments: Defense & National Security, Space Solutions, and Corporate.
Connect you with relevant teams and potential collaborators inside the Voyager and VISTA ecosystem.
Media Relations
Guidance on drafting, reviewing, and distributing press releases.
Coordinated or joint announcements when Voyager, VISTA, or Starlab is part of your news.
Media pitching and introductions to relevant reporters and outlets.
Spokesperson and quote coordination so messaging is aligned across both brands.
Support with embargoes, timing, and overall announcement strategy.
Social & Digital
Amplification on Voyager's official social channels, including LinkedIn.
Consideration for a tenant feature on Voyager's editorial channels, the same channels that have profiled VISTA tenants and partners.
Co-branded or cross-promoted content where it fits both your goals and ours.
When to Reach Out
What Kinds of News to Share
Reach out whenever you are approaching or announcing any of the following. When in doubt, send it. We would rather hear about an opportunity early than miss it.
Technical Milestones
Research results, testing or qualification, hardware readiness, a completed experiment, or a payload manifested to fly.
Business Milestones
Funding rounds, new contracts or customers, strategic partnerships, and growth or revenue markers.
Company News
Leadership hires, awards and recognition, and team or facility expansion at VISTA.
Mission & Platform News
Anything tied to the ISS, Starlab, or future commercial platforms.
Events
Speaking engagements, conference presence, and demonstrations.
Your Contact
A Dedicated Point of Contact
Every VISTA tenant has a dedicated communications point of contact who coordinates support across the Voyager Communications team.
Reach out any time. Point of contact: John O'Sullivan, Director, Marketing & Communications, john.osullivan@voyagertechnologies.com. Send all news, story ideas, and requests to: communications@voyagertechnologies.com
How to Send It In
What to Include When You Reach Out
To help us move quickly, include as much of the following as you can when you email us.
What's Happening
A short description of the milestone or news.
Why It Matters
The significance to your company, to VISTA, or to the industry.
Timing
A target announcement date, any embargo, or "as soon as possible."
Assets
Any draft release, images or renderings, logos, and spokesperson quotes.
Approvals
Whether the news is already cleared for public release on your side.
Best Contact
The right person on your team for follow-up.
The Process
What to Expect
1
You Send It In
Email your news and any materials to communications@voyagertechnologies.com.
2
We Review Together
Your point of contact reviews the opportunity and loops in the right people on the Voyager Communications team.
3
We Plan the Approach
An internal feature, media outreach, social amplification, or a combination, aligned on timing and messaging.
4
We Coordinate and Go
We handle Voyager-side channels and coordinate any joint announcement so both brands are well represented.
A note on timing and disclosure. Voyager Technologies is a publicly traded company (NYSE: VOYG). If your news touches on Voyager or VISTA, or could be considered market-moving, we will help you navigate timing, review, and disclosure so everything is handled properly. When in doubt, send it our way early and we will advise.
Best Practices
A Few Good Practices
Loop Us In Early
The more lead time we have, the more we can do to help.
Coordinate the Mentions
Anything that names Voyager, VISTA, or Starlab should be aligned with us so quotes and messaging match.
Keep Us Copied
Keep your VISTA point of contact in the loop on press activity so we can support and amplify.
Get in Touch
Ready to Share Your News?
Reach out to the Voyager Communications team any time you have a milestone to share, a story idea, or a question about how we can help.
John O'SullivanDirector, Marketing & Communicationsjohn.osullivan@voyagertechnologies.com
General Inboxcommunications@voyagertechnologies.com
