DENVER (NEXSTAR) - Voyager Technologies is developing a commercial research center called Starlab to replace the International Space Station by the end of the century. The company, led by CEO Dylan Taylor, has already received $217 million from NASA to support the project. The transition follows nearly 30 years of history for the International Space Station, which launched its first segment from Kazakhstan in 1998. Voyager Technologies officials stated that many of the building blocks for the new station are already in place as the original space station prepares to retire. Starlab will operate as a research center focused on microgravity experiments. Potential projects include improving monoclonal antibodies to fight disease and developing new drugs to treat cancer. Future research could involve sending stem cells to the station to grow organs for patients on Earth. Beyond scientific research, Voyager Technologies is expanding its defense operations with a $900 million contract from the Air Force. The 7-year-old company recently broke ground on an expansion project in southern Colorado to support national security initiatives. The expansion includes a new 150,000-square-foot facility that will be used to design and test missiles for the Golden Dome Missile Defense System. This project is intended to protect the United States from foreign air attacks. CEO Matthew Kuta emphasized the importance of maintaining technological leads in space amid global competition from China and Russia. "When you think about the rise of China and continued national security focus on the United States and Russia, it's imperative that the United States maintains our advantage," Kuta said at the Colorado groundbreaking. Voyager Technologies is also participating in the 21st-century space race to return to the moon. The company aims to establish environments where people can live and work on the lunar surface. Construction on the 150,000-square-foot facility in southern Colorado is expected to be finished later this year. Voyager Technologies representatives stated they believe the goal of people living and working on the moon will become a reality within their lifetime. All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by Nexstar. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by Nexstar staff before being published