Kris Young Joins Vast as Chief Operating Officer

Vast, the pioneering space habitation technology company building next-generation space stations, has appointed Kris Young as Chief Operating Officer. In this role, he will oversee manufacturing, supply chain, quality assurance, and mission operations. With more than 14 years at SpaceX in leadership roles spanning engineering, integration, and mission operations, Young brings proven expertise in human spaceflight—experience that is integral to supporting Vast in launching and operating Haven-1, the world’s first commercial space station.

“It’s a privilege to welcome Kris to our team and we’re honored he chose Vast as the place to bring his unique human space flight experience, to help continue our work as the leading space station manufacturer and operator. His experience, proven execution, and leadership comes at the perfect time as we enter the next phase of Haven-1’s manufacturing, testing and launch,” said Max Haot, Vast CEO.

Young oversaw the full-scale integration and testing of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft during its development. As Director of Space Operations, he led all 19 of Dragon’s human spaceflight missions, managing spacecraft build, testing, and mission teams. He also directed operations for milestone missions, including Demo-2— a historic return of America’s capability to launch humans into space in partnership with NASA—and Falcon 9 launch operations. Beyond government programs, Young helped shape SpaceX’s commercial human spaceflight portfolio, playing a key role in the Polaris Program, Inspiration4, and in Fram2, the first private human spaceflight mission to orbit Earth’s poles.

Young has worked in close partnership with NASA, including the Flight Operations Directorate and the Commercial Crew Program, earning two NASA Public Leadership Medals. In 2014, he was awarded the NASA Agency Outstanding Public Leadership Medal for his role in the design and production of Cargo Dragon modules for the International Space Station. In 2020, he received the NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal, recognizing his leadership of SpaceX Mission Operations during the successful Demo-2 mission for the Commercial Crew Program.

“After 14 years developing crew transportation to advance human spaceflight, I’m excited to now focus on next-generation space stations that will drive the technologies and research required for long-duration exploration and habitation beyond Earth,” said Young. “I’ve helped build how humans travel in space; now I want to build where they will live and work.”

Kris started his career at Northrop Grumman Space Technology as a GNC engineer working on the James Webb Space Telescope and other national priority programs. He holds a Bachelor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a Master of Aerospace Engineering degrees from Cornell University.

Founded in 2021 by Jed McCaleb, Vast is developing humanity’s next-generation space stations and pioneering the path to long-term living and thriving in space. Vast will soon launch Haven Demo, an in-orbit test bed for critical space station technologies ahead of Haven-1’s launch in 2026. Vast has just completed the final weld of the primary structure for the Haven-1 flight article ahead of its testing and integration. Vast’s long-term ambition is to create artificial gravity habitations that enable humans to live in space, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring a spacefaring future for all.

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