DigitalBlast Signs Reservation Agreement for Use of the Commercial Space Station “Starlab”
Kohei Okamura, Director of Business Development, Starlab Space LLC (left), shakes hands with Shingo Horiguchi, President & CEO, DigitalBlast, Inc. (right).
Starlab
Following Mitsubishi Corporation, DigitalBlast is the second company in Japan and Asia to reserve capacity aboard Starlab, advancing post-ISS space utilization.
CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO, JAPAN, July 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- DigitalBlast, Inc. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Shingo Horiguchi), a company that supports the growth of the space industry and the creation of new businesses, today announced that it has signed a Reservation Agreement for the use of the commercial space station “Starlab” with Starlab Space LLC (headquartered in Houston, Texas, U.S.), the developer and operator of Starlab, and recently held a signing ceremony.
● Reservation Agreement Overview
Under this Reservation Agreement, DigitalBlast secures in advance a utilization allocation aboard Starlab — the next-generation commercial space station that will succeed the International Space Station (ISS), which is scheduled for retirement around 2030 — in order to provide services that leverage the space environment.
The signing of a Starlab reservation agreement by a Japanese company follows that of Mitsubishi Corporation, announced in January 2026, making DigitalBlast the second such company in Japan and the Asia region. As interest in the commercial use of low Earth orbit (LEO) grows toward the post-ISS era, DigitalBlast will serve as a user-integration partner for R&D that puts the space environment to practical use, and will work to build itself into one of the gateways through which companies and research institutions in Japan and the wider Asia region can access orbit.
● Signing Details
・Agreement name
Starlab Reservation Agreement
・Counterparty
Starlab Space LLC (HQ: Houston, Texas, U.S.)
・Signing date
July 14, 2026
・Signatories
Shingo Horiguchi (President & CEO, DigitalBlast, Inc.)
Thomas E. Ayres (General Counsel, Starlab Space LLC)
●Planned Payload
・Onboard computer
A product under development by DigitalBlast based on “Orbital Data Center Construction Technology,” a theme adopted by the JAXA Space Strategic Fund (lead institution: SpaceBlast, Inc.).
●About the Starlab Space Station
・Name
Starlab
・Operator
Starlab Space LLC
・Joint-venture partners (in no particular order)
A U.S.-led global joint venture among Voyager Technologies (NYSE: VOYG), Airbus, Mitsubishi Corporation, MDA Space, Palantir Technologies, and Space Applications Services.
・Reference
https://starlab-space.com/
●Comments
・Shingo Horiguchi, President & CEO, DigitalBlast, Inc.:
“As the retirement of the International Space Station approaches, the use of low Earth orbit is shifting from the demonstration phase toward full-scale commercial utilization. Being among the first to secure a utilization allocation aboard Starlab, the world’s most advanced commercial space station, is a major step toward implementing in orbit the technologies and services we have cultivated and advancing Japan’s use of the space environment to the next stage. We intend to build the foundation that will serve as a bridge that enables Japanese companies and research institutions to use low Earth orbit in the post-ISS era. Together with Starlab and partners around the world, we will continue to create ‘value in space’ by expanding the utilization of the space environment.”
・Kohei Okamura, Director of Business Development, Starlab Space LLC:
“We are delighted to have signed a reservation agreement with DigitalBlast — a company with a proven track record in space-environment utilization in Japan and a strong commitment to advanced technology development — for the use of Starlab. The company’s technologies and services will strongly support the commercial use of low Earth orbit in the post-ISS era and the creation of new value that harnesses the space environment. Going forward, together with DigitalBlast, we will expand opportunities to use low Earth orbit and work to create an environment in which more companies and research institutions can pursue new business and technology development on Starlab.”
●ackground: Toward Space-Environment Utilization in the Post-ISS Era
Ahead of the International Space Station’s (ISS) planned retirement in 2030, activity in low Earth orbit (LEO) is shifting substantially from government-led programs to commercial, privately-led platforms. Japan has built up research and development using the microgravity environment aboard the ISS and its Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo,” and a new orbital base is now needed to carry this activity seamlessly into the post-ISS era.
To date, DigitalBlast has advanced the development of an orbital computer that serves as the core technology of “Orbital Data Center Construction Technology,” a theme adopted by the JAXA Space Strategic Fund, and has also developed equipment and provided platform services that support life-science R&D in the space environment. The utilization allocation secured aboard Starlab will be an important foundation for implementing and expanding these efforts in orbit and for creating ‘value in space’ through the broader utilization of the space environment.
●About DigitalBlast
DigitalBlast, Inc. is a space startup that, under its mission “Make Space Valuable,” engages in technology development and the building of research infrastructure to create industries that utilize the space environment. Building on the experience it has cultivated aboard the ISS and the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo,” the company promotes user integration for space-environment utilization and the cultivation of commercial demand with an eye toward the post-ISS era. Through the development of a computer that serves as the core technology of “Orbital Data Center Construction Technology” (adopted by the JAXA Space Strategic Fund) and the development of equipment and platform services supporting life-science R&D in the space environment, DigitalBlast contributes to the sustained expansion of space utilization and the creation of new industries.
Website: https://digitalblast.co.jp/ | Established: December 2018 | HQ: Jimbocho Mitsui Bldg. 19F, 1-105 Kanda-Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0051, Japan | Business: Space development business | Affiliate: SpaceBlast, Inc.
●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 the JAXA Space Strategic Fund and “Orbital Data Center Construction Technology”
The Space Strategic Fund is a program established at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to support, over the long term, the development and social implementation of space technologies by private companies and universities. “Orbital Data Center Construction Technology” is a technology-development theme adopted under this program, led by SpaceBlast, Inc. as the representative institution, with DigitalBlast responsible for business development. Reference: https://fund.jaxa.jp/
●Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the development, launch, and operation of the Starlab commercial space station and DigitalBlast’s planned utilization of it. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Neither DigitalBlast nor Starlab Space LLC undertakes any obligation to update these statements except as required by law.
Takuma Kajisa
DigitalBlast, Inc.
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