Former President and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation and NASA Executive Steve Isakowitz Joins Vast as Advisor

Steve Isakowitz, former President and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation, has joined Vast as its newest advisor. Isakowitz’s career spans across the sectors of commercial space, national security, civil government, and advanced technology. Isakowitz’s expertise in partnering with government agencies including NASA, the U.S. Space Force, and other national security-focused organizations will support Vast’s efforts across key customers and partners.  

Isakowitz has held various leadership roles in the space sector, including President of Virgin Galactic, Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration at NASA, Chief Financial Officer at the U.S. Department of Energy, and the White House Office of Management and Budget. His work has contributed to major national initiatives in commercial space, human spaceflight, lunar and Mars exploration planning, national security capabilities, scientific research, and advanced energy technologies. Most recently, he was the President and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation, where he led the organization in supporting government customers working to outpace national security threats. This strategic effort included making critical investments in space warfighting infrastructure and accelerating the delivery of end-to-end capabilities. 

“It’s an honor to welcome Steve Isakowitz to our team,” said Max Haot, CEO of Vast. “Steve brings an impressive combination of expertise and leadership in the areas of aerospace engineering and business strategy. Over the past four decades, he has helped shape and advance America’s aerospace sector and this experience will be invaluable as we grow our commercial space station and satellite services.”

“What stands out about Vast is its focus on execution,” said Isakowitz. “The company is using an iterative approach to de-risk its roadmap, successfully completing the Haven Demo mission and advancing Haven-1 into integration. These accomplishments, combined with a clear vision for commercial space infrastructure, position Vast to play an important role in supporting U.S. government objectives and expanding access to low-Earth orbit. I’m excited to advance the mission.”

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About Vast

Vast is developing next-generation space stations and space infrastructure using an incremental, hardware-rich and low-cost approach. Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station to ensure a continuous human presence in space for America and its allies, enabling advanced microgravity research and manufacturing, and unlocking a new space economy for government, corporate, and private customers. Haven Demo’s 2025 success made Vast the only operational commercial space station company to fly and operate its own spacecraft. Next, Haven-1 is expected to become the world’s first commercial space station when it launches in 2027, followed by additional Haven modules. Additionally, the company recently announced Vast Satellite, a high-power satellite product line leveraging its space station components and the heritage of Haven Demo.

Headquartered in Long Beach, California, and with more than 1,000 employees and over a billion dollars in private capital, Vast has built the facilities required to manufacture and operate America’s next space station. The company plans to develop future habitats and systems for the Moon and Mars, dedicated space stations for government partners, and other crewed systems that will unlock the expanding long-term space economy.