Vast, a company specializing in space stations, has unveiled its plan to launch a commercial space station called “Haven-1” in August 2025. This station, which will be deployed in low Earth orbit, will have the participation of four commercial astronauts who will travel aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft.
A project with an aggressive schedule backed by SpaceX
Jed McCaleb, founder of Vast, has expressed confidence in meeting the space station’s ambitious development schedule. Although the 2025 deadline for completing the station is very tight, Vast has the experience and backing of top technical advisers who have had long histories at SpaceX, such as Hans Koenigsmann, Will Heltsley and Yang Li.
Collaboration with SpaceX is critical to the success of this mission. The Haven-1 ship, with a diameter of 3.8 meters, will be launched into space using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. Additionally, part of the station’s life support systems will be provided by the Crew Dragon ship while docked to the station. This includes the provision of air, water, and other services necessary to keep astronauts alive.
Innovation and competition in the commercial space station sector
Vast’s initiative comes at a time when NASA is looking to private companies to offer lodging for its astronauts in low-Earth orbit. With plans to retire the aging International Space Station around 2030, the space agency hopes to be able to rent crew time on commercial space stations.
In this sense, Vast aims to obtain funding from NASA and has some competitive advantages. The proposal for a station with artificial gravity could be attractive to the space agency, and Jed McCaleb, with an estimated fortune of $2.4 billion, is willing to invest more than $300 million in the development of space stations.
Vast’s long-term plan
Vast has a long-term plan that includes launching a “Starship” class module by 2028, which will be roughly twice the size of Haven-1 and will be launched via SpaceX’s Starship rocket. This module, with a diameter of seven meters, aims to provide greater capacity and functionality compared to the Haven-1.
Vast plans to conduct artificial gravity experiments at the Haven-1 station, where it is expected to achieve lunar-like gravity, that is, about one-sixth Earth’s gravity. With the Starship module, the company hopes to achieve a more robust artificial gravity system within this decade.
