From Spacewalks to Startups: Astronaut Tim Kopra on Building StarLab

In this episode, Josh Baer sits down with Tim Kopra, a decorated astronaut and Voyager Technologies Chief Human Exploration Officer, to discuss the next chapter in human spaceflight: the transition from the government-run International Space Station to privately owned commercial stations. Kopra recounts his journey from Army aviator to NASA astronaut and how years in orbit shaped his approach to leading a startup at the frontier of spacetech.

He explains how Voyager Space, in partnership with Airbus Defence & Space and Palantir, is developing StarLab, a next-generation space station that will be launched on a single Starship rocket in 2029. Designed for research, manufacturing, and national-security applications, StarLab will host both government astronauts and commercial tenants, generating revenue while supporting NASA’s long-term exploration goals.

For founders and investors, this conversation reveals what it takes to build a capital-intensive, multi-national startup that merges aerospace, venture capital, and government contracting into one bold vision for the future.

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