DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--STAR HARBOR announced today details of its planned 53-acre mixed-use development campus and training center south of Denver in Lone Tree, Colorado (Douglas County). The commercial astronaut training, space workforce development and technology incubator program also launched a Series B fundraising round through July 15 2022 to further the development of the project.
With initial offerings beginning in 2026, the mixed-use campus will host customers and the public. At its heart will be the STAR HARBOR Academy, a striking, iconic building designed by AOA, world leaders in experience design who routinely collaborate with Fortune 50 companies to bring unique ideas to life. The Academy will feature microgravity flights, neutral buoyancy facility, high-gravity centrifuge, land based and underwater habitats, hypobaric and hyperbaric chambers, simulation labs, and human performance center. Additional campus features will include a space-themed hotel, office space, Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) space, non-profit Public Inspiration center and entertainment and event venues, including an e-sports arena. The STAR HARBOR campus is expected to attract more than two million annual visitors.
Beyond human spaceflight safety and mission preparation, STAR HARBOR will incubate and accelerate emerging technologies across various industries and make available the necessary test environments to cost-effectively prove technologies on the ground prior to launch. There are currently six government-sponsored space research and development facilities worldwide but none are open to the public, limiting the development of new products and technologies that benefit from testing in similar environments in which they will operate in space.
The planned STAR HARBOR Lab-to-Orbit™ research campus will lower barriers-to-entry for commercial innovation, scale and speed. STAR HARBOR has already established more than 30 significant partnerships and memorandums of understanding encompassing major aerospace, technology, and defense companies, leading educational organizations, international space agencies, and relevant U.S. government entities. The company looks forward to sharing these partnerships in the coming weeks.
The woman-led team is made up of best-in-class astrophysicists, astronauts and business executives committed to removing barriers to inclusion in the aerospace ecosystem. "There is an unprecedented renaissance occurring within the Space industry today and our leading edge capabilities and people-centered approach will accelerate this transformation in ways that are not only critically needed in the industry but will foster a new vision for how Space can be leveraged to improve life on Earth," said Maraia Tanner, founder and CEO, STAR HARBOR. “We have the opportunity to foster a new generation of explorers, innovators, entrepreneurs, educators and technologies to leave a powerful, positive legacy for generations to come”.
“We’re thrilled that STAR HARBOR has chosen to land in Lone Tree, one of the best places on Earth. We are situated in the heart of Colorado’s space industry – the second-largest space economy in the nation,” said Lone Tree Mayor Jackie Millet. “Our new neighbor STAR HARBOR is poised to play a leading role in building the next generation of spaceflight and commercial space technologies right here in our future city center.”
“We are honored to welcome STAR HARBOR Academy to the RidgeGate Master Planned Community as the catalyst to launch the Lone Tree City Center, our exciting mixed use urban district that will become the heart of the community,” said Keith Simon, EVP of Coventry Development Corporation.
The global commercial space economy is booming, valued at more than $450 billion and expected to grow to more than one trillion dollars by 2040. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce predicts the U.S. will need more than 1.5 million workers to power the space economy. STAR HARBOR’s Humans-to-Orbit™ Astronaut Certification Program is poised to help meet this need by defining industry spaceflight safety regulations and standards for training and certifying the next generation of commercial astronauts. The academy includes four programs focused on operators, users, mission specialists, and passengers. The center’s research and incubation projects will also include a focus on adaptable climate solutions.
STAR HARBOR is led by founder Maraia Tanner, an astrophysicist and former aerospace engineer, and the team includes Dr. Sian Proctor, a member of SpaceX’s Inspiration4 civilian orbital spaceflight and the first black woman to pilot a spacecraft; and Ronald Garan Jr., a former NASA astronaut and retired Air Force test pilot. Board members include Alan Ladwig, NASA (ret.), Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing (ret.) and Kenneth Svendsen, Entertainment Cruises, Disney and Hilton (ret).
For more information visit starharboracademy.com or email info@starharboracademy.com.
About STAR HARBOR
STAR HARBOR is creating the world’s first publicly accessible spaceflight training facility and cutting-edge research and development campus. STAR HARBOR was created to remove barriers of entry to the space economy by delivering access to equipment and training opportunities. The STAR HARBOR Humans-to-Orbit™ Astronaut Certification Program is helping to define industry spaceflight safety regulations and standards while creating new opportunities for those with on-orbit ambitions. STAR HARBOR is committed to positively impacting sustainability and climate science research and education.
