SpaceX has signed a contract with Vast to launch the first commercial space station. The company will launch the Haven-1 module into low-Earth orbit, followed by the first crewed space flights to the space station.
SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch the first commercial space station module
Private space company SpaceX signed a contract on May 10, 2023, to launch the world’s first commercial space station with Vast. Vast, a pioneer in space habitation technologies, announced plans to launch the world’s first commercial space station, called Haven-1. Haven-1 is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket into low-Earth orbit no earlier than August 2025. It will initially act as an independent crewed space station, the companies announced. Later, it will be connected as a module to the larger Vast space station, which is currently in development.
SpaceX will launch human missions to the space station
After Haven-1 is launched, the first human mission to space, Vast-1, will follow. Astronauts will travel to Haven-1 on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The ship and its four-person crew will dock with Haven-1 for up to 30 days in Earth orbit. Vast has also secured an option with SpaceX for an additional crewed spaceflight mission to Haven-1.
SpaceX and Vast’s collaboration is breaking new ground for humanity
This is the first time in history that a commercial space station company has contracted to launch its space station and a mission with a human in space.
« Vast is thrilled to embark on this journey of launching the world’s first commercial space station, Haven-1, and its first crew, Vast-1, » said Jed McCaleb, CEO of Vast. « We are grateful to SpaceX for this exciting partnership that represents the first steps in Vast’s long-term vision of launching much larger, artificial gravity space stations in Earth orbit and beyond.
« A commercial rocket launching a commercial spacecraft with commercial astronauts to a commercial space station is the future of low-Earth orbit, and with Vast we’re taking another step toward making that future a reality, » said Tom Ochinero, Senior Vice President of Commercial Business at SpaceX. « The SpaceX team couldn’t be more excited to launch Vast’s Haven-1 and support their follow-on human spaceflight missions to the orbiting commercial space station. »
Vast aims to develop a space station with artificial gravity
Vast’s long-term goal is to develop a 100-meter, multi-module, rotating space station with artificial gravity. It will be launched by the SpaceX Starship transportation system. Vast will study conducting the world’s first rotating artificial gravity experiment on a commercial space station with Haven-1.
Vast is selling up to four crewed seats on the inaugural mission to Haven-1. Expected customers include domestic and international space agencies, as well as individuals involved in science and philanthropic projects.
SpaceX will provide crew training on the Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft. They will teach emergency preparedness, spacesuit and spacecraft ingress and egress exercises, as well as partial and full mission simulations including docking and undocking with Haven-1 for return to Earth.
