A NEW FRONTIER IN EB-5 — BY MARIE EKBERG PADILLA AND MARTA LILLO
We ’ ve been operating for three years , funding it out of our existing balance sheet and derisking it to feel comfortable with EB-5 capital integrated into the ISS . Everything else is owned by a country ,” Kuta said .
“ Think of Starlab as a research hub with a built-in hotel orbiting 400 kilometers above your head ,” he added .
The Future of Space Exploration is Private
The station ’ s low-earth orbit location is crucial for microgravity research , which is impossible to conduct on Earth . Pharmaceutical giant Merck is already conducting experiments on the ISS , and last year , NASA successfully 3D-printed and vascularized a meniscus in space .
“ Imagine a scenario where every single time a skier blows out their knees skiing in the mountains , you take tissue from their knee , 3D-print it , vascularize it in space , and fly it down , and the insurance company will reimburse you for that ,” Kuta said . “ As we speak , billions of dollars have been spent on research , operations , and such things on the ISS .”
For Kuta , the real value of this EB-5 project lies in its ability to inspire human ingenuity . “ To me , it ’ s not so much about space , but humans , as our entire existence as a species on Earth have been as explorers ,” he said .
Kuta envisions Starlab as the beginning of a new era where space travel becomes as routine as air travel .
“ Back in time , the sailors never left the coastline behind until someone started to sail around the world , and now thousands of people are going on ocean cruises every year . The Wright brothers flew an airplane in 1903 . No human on earth had ever flown on a plane until 120 years ago . Today , it ’ s normalized . Yuri Gagarin from the USSR became the first man in space 70 years ago . We have gone from zero people in space to hundreds . It may not seem that many but more than 10,000 people will go to space in our children ’ s lifetimes ,” he said .
However , Kuta isn ’ t rushing to go to space himself . As a father of two , he said , “ I would rather visit when Starlab is in space when my kids are out of the house .” For now , he ’ s content building the ISS in Lego with his daughters .
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