Space Lab Technologies
Space Lab Technologies is a Boulder, CO small disadvantaged business that designs crop production, life support, and instrumentation hardware for NASA human spaceflight programs, monetizing primarily through SBIR/STTR contracts and supporting the Artemis III LEAF payload.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersBoulder, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Space Lab Technologies does
Space Lab Technologies is a privately held, Colorado-based small disadvantaged business (founded 2016) that designs and develops hardware and engineering services for human space habitation. Its product portfolio centers on three integrated capability areas: space crop production (μG-LilyPond for microgravity aquatic plant cultivation, MarsOasis for autonomous Martian greenhouses, Space Lab Café as a compact spacecraft vertical farm), Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) components (O=O Flow meter for the xEMU spacesuit, FRESR thermal radiator, PHILM CO2 capture membrane, Pro-WASH produce sanitizer, HEART habitability analytics), and spaceflight instruments and electronics (LEAF β payload for Artemis III, SSP Imager for autonomous plant health, Perseus Processing Unit, High Rate Telemetry).
The company's business model is overwhelmingly government-contractor oriented: primary revenue flows through competitive NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I and Phase II awards, supplemented by NASA Flight Opportunities suborbital flight-testing contracts and Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) research grants. Cumulative disclosed funding of approximately $3.38 million was awarded between 2017 and 2020 across 13 contracts, with continued contract cadence through 2024 (LEAF A3DI selection, EcoMine Phase II, SOSHA Phase I, Freeze Tolerant Radiator Phase I). A secondary revenue stream exists in custom engineering services sold via an online Request-a-Quote flow for mission-specific applications. Distribution is direct to government and select aerospace enterprise buyers; marketing is built on academic publications, conference presentations, and earned media rather than consumer-facing campaigns.
Space Lab Technologies firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Space Lab Technologies
- Legal name
- Space Lab Technologies, LLC
- Website
- https://spacelabtech.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Space Lab Technologies is a Boulder, CO small disadvantaged business that designs crop production, life support, and instrumentation hardware for NASA human spaceflight programs, monetizing primarily through SBIR/STTR contracts and supporting the Artemis III LEAF payload.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Space Lab Technologies industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Space Habitation and Life Support Systems
- NAICS
- Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641)
- SIC
- Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR) (IMABACAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Space Structures, Mechanisms & Thermal Control (IMABACAF), Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software (IMABACAI)
Keywords
Where Space Lab Technologies is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boulder
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Space Lab Technologies business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- NASA SBIR/STTR Contracts: Space Lab Technologies generates primary revenue through Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contracts awarded by NASA. These competitive grants fund specific technology development projects including Phase I feasibility studies and Phase II full development awards.
- NASA Flight Opportunities: Suborbital flight testing contracts through NASA's Flight Opportunities program allow testing of space technologies aboard commercial suborbital vehicles like Blue Origin's New Shepard.
- TRISH Research Grants: Funding from the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) supports research into space health solutions including their collaborative duckweed research with CU Boulder.
- Custom Engineering Services: Space Lab offers custom engineering services for mission-specific applications through their Request a Quote system, providing specialized engineering solutions to aerospace customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom engineering solutions for mission-specific applications |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Space Lab Technologies product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Space Lab Technologies develops proprietary hardware and engineering services for sustainable human space exploration, including microgravity crop production systems (µG-LilyPond), Martian greenhouses (MarsOasis), lunar plant science payloads (LEAF), spacesuit flowmeter technology (O=O Flow), thermal control systems (FRESR), and custom space systems engineering. Revenue is primarily generated through NASA SBIR/STTR competitive contracts, Flight Opportunities grants, and custom engineering services for government and aerospace customers.
Product overview
Space Lab Technologies is a space habitation and systems engineering company that develops technology for sustainable human space exploration. The company operates as a platform of interconnected products and services rather than a single unified product. The core product portfolio includes crop production systems (μG-LilyPond™ for microgravity, MarsOasis® for Mars, and Space Lab® Café for spacecraft/lunar habitats), life support technologies (ECLSS services, O=O Flow™ for spacesuits, FRESR for thermal control, PHILM for CO2 control), and specialized instruments (LEAF β for lunar surface plant studies, SSP Imager for plant health monitoring, EcoMine™ for lunar mining). Services include space architecture, ground systems, attitude determination, high data rate telemetry, and command & data handling. The company leverages heritage space agriculture technology while integrating novel features for improved efficiency, targeting NASA, commercial space companies, and research institutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Space Lab® Café: A compact vertical farm system that continuously produces nutritious produce with minimal water, power, waste, or processing time. Operates in lunar, Martian, or spacecraft habitats while providing farm-to-table solutions.
- µG-LilyPond™
- MarsOasis®
- LEAF
- O=O Flow™
- FRESR
- Pro-WASH™
Products and services
- µG-LilyPond Autonomous, environmentally controlled floating plant cultivation system for microgravity environments utilizing passive thin film capillary force for biomass propagation and stability; designed for growing aquatic plants like duckweed and microgreens on spacecraft.
- MarsOasis
Quantifiable outcome
- Duckweed achieves up to 45% protein content in dry biomass and can double its mass in 1-3 days, enabling high yields with minimal resources.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Space Lab Technologies
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Space Lab Technologies technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature12 records
Space Lab Technologies partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- NASA Kennedy Space CentercoreCollaboration on Artemis III LEAF mission with space biologists Dr. Aubrie O'Rourke, Dr. Gioia Massa, and Dr. Raymond Wheeler providing plant science expertise for lunar surface experiments.
- Purdue UniversitycoreLEAF mission collaboration with Dr. Marshall Porterfield providing plant biology expertise for understanding lunar environment effects on agricultural flora.
- USDAcoreLEAF mission collaboration with Dr. Gayle Volk providing agricultural science expertise for sustainable crop production research.
- La Trobe UniversitycoreLEAF mission collaboration with Dr. Mathew Lewsey providing molecular biology expertise for plant response studies.
- University of AdelaidecoreLEAF mission collaboration with Dr. Jenny Mortimer providing plant science research capabilities for lunar agriculture experiments.
- Blue OrigincoreProvider of suborbital flight opportunities aboard New Shepard rocket for testing Space Lab technologies in microgravity. Multiple successful flights including NS-13, NS-35, and others. Space Lab has been honored as one of 12 payloads testing research and technology aboard Blue Origin flights.
- University of FloridacoreSTTR collaboration on SSP Imager (Smart Spectral Polarimetric Imager) for autonomous plant health monitoring. Joint development of polarimetric imaging technology for space-based plant cultivation.
- Colorado School of MinescoreCollaboration on EcoMine project with Dr. Jaeheon Lee for bioregenerative mineral mining from lunar regolith research. Partnership part of NASA SBIR Phase I award for rare earth element extraction from lunar soil.
- University of Colorado at BouldercoreLong-standing research partner collaborating on multiple NASA-funded projects including μg-LilyPond Phase II STTR, MarsOasis development, and ECLSS research. Dr. James Nabity and Dr. Barbara Demmig-Adams serve as key collaborators. Partnership involves joint development of space crop production systems and life support technologies.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Space Lab Technologies competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- ICON: ICON develops 3D-printed habitat technologies for lunar and Mars surface construction, with a $57.2M NASA contract under the Artemis program. It is an emerging peer in space habitation adjacent to Space Lab's Space Architecture and EcoMine products, with overlapping NASA Artemis mission exposure.
- Orbit Fab: Orbit Fab develops in-space refueling and satellite servicing infrastructure and is part of the same NASA and commercial spaceflight ecosystem as Space Lab. It represents an emerging peer in space infrastructure adjacent to Space Lab's habitat and life support products.
Broad incumbents
- Sierra Space: Sierra Space develops the LIFE inflatable habitat, Dream Chaser spaceplane, and Orbital Reef commercial space station in partnership with Blue Origin. It is a broad incumbent in space habitation — Space Lab's long-term opportunity space — with significantly more capital and prime-contractor relationships.
- Northrop Grumman: Northrop Grumman is a prime contractor producing ECLSS, Cygnus spacecraft, HALO module for Gateway, and various space structures and instruments. It competes with Space Lab on ECLSS, thermal, and payload subsystems at the prime-contractor level with far greater scale.
- Lockheed Martin: Lockheed Martin Space builds Orion, satellites, and a range of space exploration and life sciences instruments. It is a broad incumbent that competes for large NASA human spaceflight and planetary science programs adjacent to Space Lab's payload and ECLSS offerings.
- Voyager Space (Nanoracks): Voyager Space (acquirer of Nanoracks, owner of Tethers Unlimited) operates Starlab with Airbus and provides in-space services including deployable structures and satellite deployers. It is a broad incumbent in the space services and habitat ecosystem that competes for similar NASA commercial LEO and deep space programs.
Direct peers
- Redwire Corporation: Redwire is a publicly traded space hardware company providing payloads, structures, deployable booms, and in-space 3D printing (via Made In Space) for civil and defense space. It is directly comparable to Space Lab's payload (LEAF, SSP Imager), structures, and avionics products, and competes for similar NASA SBIR and prime-contractor awards at a much larger scale.
- Tethers Unlimited (Voyager Space subsidiary): Tethers Unlimited develops in-space manufacturing, propellant depots, and space structures for NASA and commercial customers, with a profile (small business, SBIR-heavy, multi-product portfolio) closely comparable to Space Lab.
- Paragon Space Development Corporation: Paragon develops Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS), spacesuit life support, and thermal control for NASA and commercial space — directly overlapping with Space Lab's ECLSS, O=O Flow spacesuit flowmeter, and FRESR thermal control product lines. Like Space Lab, Paragon is an SBIR-heavy small business competing for NASA human spaceflight contracts.
- Aegis Aerospace: Aegis Aerospace (formerly Alpha Space) provides commercial ISS payload services, R&D testing, and small-satellite deployment, with deep NASA SBIR heritage. It is a direct peer to Space Lab in the small-business, NASA-contracting, R&D-payload segment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Space Lab Technologies social profiles
Digital presenceSpace Lab Technologies financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Space Lab Technologies leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Space Lab Technologies funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Space Lab Technologies M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Space Lab Technologies
What does Space Lab Technologies do?
Space Lab Technologies develops proprietary hardware and engineering services for sustainable human space exploration, including microgravity crop production systems (µG-LilyPond), Martian greenhouses (MarsOasis), lunar plant science payloads (LEAF), spacesuit flowmeter technology (O=O Flow), thermal control systems (FRESR), and custom space systems engineering. Revenue is primarily generated through NASA SBIR/STTR competitive contracts, Flight Opportunities grants, and custom engineering services for government and aerospace customers.
Is Space Lab Technologies a public or private company?
Space Lab Technologies is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Space Lab Technologies founded?
Space Lab Technologies was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Space Lab Technologies based?
Space Lab Technologies is headquartered in Boulder, United States, in the North America region.
How does Space Lab Technologies make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. NASA SBIR/STTR Contracts are the primary driver. The others are NASA Flight Opportunities, TRISH Research Grants and custom Engineering Services.
Who are Space Lab Technologies's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are ICON and Orbit Fab. Broad incumbents are Sierra Space, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and Voyager Space (Nanoracks). Direct peers are Redwire Corporation, Tethers Unlimited (Voyager Space subsidiary), Paragon Space Development Corporation and Aegis Aerospace.
Does Space Lab Technologies have an API?
No public API is recorded for Space Lab Technologies.
What industry is Space Lab Technologies in?
Space Lab Technologies's product category is Space Habitation and Life Support Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABACAD, Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR), with a secondary code of IMABACAF, Space Structures, Mechanisms & Thermal Control. Its NAICS code is 336414 and its SIC code is 3760.