Vasts Haven-1 continues to advance through milestones ahead of planned 2027 launch

Date:
Sat, 04 Jul 2026 22:10:06 +0000

Description:
Vast Spaces Haven-1 station is on track to launch in Q1 2027, having achieved several The post Vasts Haven-1 continues to advance through milestones ahead of planned 2027 launch appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .

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Vast Spaces Haven-1 station is on track to launch in Q1 2027, having achieved several key development milestones in recent weeks. The company also plans to develop high-power satellite buses and has signed several agreements with European countries to support astronaut missions to the International Space Station and Haven-1.



Haven-1 development continues

Haven-1 is a candidate to become the worlds first commercial space station
and has completed critical integration and testing procedures. The single-module space station will provide 45 cubic meters of habitable volume (85 cubic meters pressurized) and is designed to support four astronaut missions, each lasting up to two weeks. Weighing 14,000 kg, the station is
the minimum viable product, demonstrating the technology necessary for the companys future multi-modular Haven-2 station. Alongside human-centric features, the station also has a 1.1-m domed window, Starlink connectivity, and a state-of-the-art Haven Lab for microgravity research. Vast is ready to support a continuous presence in space for the US and its allies. Through our hardware-rich, stepping-stone approach to building next-generation space stations, we validate our systems early to ensure readiness, starting with
the success of Haven Demo. pic.twitter.com/fYVv5cCh3R

Vast (@vast) May 8, 2026



Vast and companies such as Axiom Space and Blue Origin are competing for NASA funding under the Commercial low-Earth orbit Destinations (CLD) program. The agency will fund one or more stations as a successor to the ISS. Following recent industry uncertainty regarding the programs timeline during NASAs Ignition event, the agency reaffirmed its commitment to the commercial low-Earth orbit (LEO) transition.

In June, the company announced the installation of thermal control system (TCS) trays on its Haven-1 flight article. These modular structural panels integrate control valves, sensors, and other hardware necessary to regulate the spacecrafts temperature.

Alongside the crucial integration of subsystems, a 10-kW Hall thruster developed by Vast has recently undergone vacuum-chamber testing, with the engine demonstrating a specific impulse of more than 3,000 seconds. The companys in-house electric propulsion system, developed for future stations and Vast satellites, builds off NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratorys (JPL) H10 thruster. The system will form part of a larger Reaction Control System (RCS) alongside Impulse Spaces Saiph chemical thruster and the stations six
internal Control Moment Gyroscopes (CMGs), which provide attitude control and precise maneuvering for the spacecraft. Vast is developing Control Moment Gyroscopes (CMGs) in-house to provide attitude control for Haven-1 and future stations. Our CMGs are air-cooled; we will test the cooling ducts in our full-scale life support testing module to verify nominal temperatures are maintained. pic.twitter.com/gcwGN3p9mc

Vast (@vast) March 18, 2026



When Haven-1 launches in 2027 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9, its inaugural four-person crew will arrive via a Crew Dragon capsule on the Vast-1 mission. The station will rely on the docked Crew Dragon for critical life-support architecture, including supplemental carbon dioxide (CO2) scrubbing.

To prove out its technologies and hardware, Vast launched its Haven Demo in November 2025 onboard SpaceXs Bandwagon-4 rideshare mission. The 500 kg testbed satellite provided verification of the non-human systems on the Haven-1 space station. This included the deployment of solar panel arrays and testing of Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) and communication systems. After a successful mission, Vast deorbited the spacecraft in February 2026. Haven Demo in orbit (Credit: Vast Space)

Vast to develop satellite buses

After the deorbit of Haven Demo, Vast announced its intention to build high-power satellite buses that leverage existing in-house systems developed for Haven-1 and proven on its Haven Demo mission. Vasts first satellite product, a 15-kW-class high-power satellite bus, is expected to begin launching in 2027 with an undisclosed customer already purchasing four of the spacecraft with options for the company to produce up to 200 more, dependent on success.

Upon the announcement, CEO Max Haot said, We believe Vast is uniquely positioned to compete in the high-power satellite market through the combination of our world-class engineering team, large-scale manufacturing capabilities, and the on-orbit success of Haven Demo.

The satellite buses will be used for a variety of purposes, including Earth observation, national security, and data centers. To facilitate on-orbit data centers, Vast also announced that the satellite buses would have optional Nvidia Space-1 Vera Rubin modules that can support AI edge compute and autonomous space operations.

Private astronaut missions and Vast-1

Vast has already announced a crew member for Vast-1, European Space Agency reserve astronaut Arnaud Prost, who is expected to be a flight engineer on
the mission. The UK Space Agency (UKSA) also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vast to explore the possibility of sending ESA astronaut John McFall to Haven-1, with the former Paralympian potentially becoming the first person with a physical disability to live in orbit. Today at Choose France, President @EmmanuelMacron announced a historic agreement with Vast for 2 astronaut missions: @Thom_astro to the International Space Station and @Arno_astro to Haven-1. Vast will also establish its European Headquarters in Paris. https://t.co/zOGyyruJwN pic.twitter.com/Ap1LZ3sAJ5

Vast (@vast) June 1, 2026



In addition to selecting astronauts for Vast-1, the company revealed two crew members for its Private Astronaut Mission (PAM) to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2027. Agreements involving the Czech Republic, France, and Vast will send the first Czech astronaut, Ale Svoboda, to orbit alongside French astronaut Thomas Pesquet as commander for the mission.

With NASA and its international partners expected to decommission the ISS in the coming years, the competition to become the first commercial space
station in LEO continues to develop. Vast hopes that by sending a smaller, simpler station beforehand, it will prove to NASA that it can demonstrate crucial capabilities and win vital funding.

The Haven-1 station marks only the beginning of the companys plans, as Vast
is committed to constructing more advanced stations and ultimately aims to create the first station with artificial gravity.

(Lead Image: Render of Haven-1 with a Crew Dragon docked. Credit: Vast
Space)



The post Vasts Haven-1 continues to advance through milestones ahead of planned 2027 launch appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .



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Link to news story:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/07/vast-update-070426/


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