NanoRacks

NanoRacks is a commercial space services company that provides access to space and the International Space Station (ISS) for research, technology development, and small satellite deployment. Founded in 2009, NanoRacks has become a world leader in commercial space utilization, offering low-cost solutions for satellite deployment, basic and educational research, and other space-based services to customers in over 30 countries. The company has launched over 1,300 research experiments and deployed over 300 small satellites from the ISS. NanoRacks' flagship product is the Bishop Airlock, the first commercially built, owned, and operated airlock on the ISS, which provides five times the existing payload volume available on the station. The Bishop Airlock, launched in 2020, enables various use cases including CubeSat and MicroSat deployment, hosted payloads, microgravity experiments, and Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) support. NanoRacks has also developed other commercial space systems, including the Nanoracks CubeSat Deployer (NRCSD), which has been used for multiple CubeSat deployment missions from the ISS. The company's long-term vision includes developing in-space manufacturing capabilities for pharmaceuticals and fiber optics, as well as repurposing upper stages of launch vehicles into commercial habitats throughout the solar system. In May 2021, NanoRacks was acquired by Voyager Space and became part of its Exploration Segment.

Key customers and partnerships

NanoRacks has established partnerships with various government space agencies and commercial entities. In 2021, both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) pre-purchased Bishop Airlock cycles for agency and third-party use, demonstrating the company's ability to serve both government and commercial customers. NanoRacks has also collaborated with educational institutions, such as Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, whose students built the RamSat CubeSat deployed by NanoRacks in June 2021. The company has worked with universities like the University of Manchester on projects such as the Satellite for Orbital Aerodynamics Research (SOAR). In October 2021, NanoRacks announced a partnership with Voyager Space and Lockheed Martin to develop Starlab, a commercial space station designed to ensure continued US presence in low-Earth orbit after the retirement of the ISS. This collaboration aims to create a continuously crewed commercial platform dedicated to conducting critical research, fostering industrial activity, and supporting various customer needs in space.