Press Release

Vast Announces the Haven-1 and Vast-1 Missions.

May 10, 2023
Long Beach, California
Illustration - Haven-1 with SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft and a visiting crew

Scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station, Haven-1 and subsequent human spaceflight missions will accelerate access to space exploration.

Vast, a pioneer in space habitation technologies, announced today their plans to launch the world’s first commercial space station, called Haven-1. Scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to low-Earth orbit no earlier than August 2025, Haven-1 will initially act as an independent crewed space station prior to being connected as a module to a larger Vast space station currently in development. The mission will be quickly followed by Vast-1, the first human spaceflight mission to Haven-1 on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The vehicle and its four-person crew will dock with Haven-1 for up to 30 days while orbiting Earth. Vast also secured an option with SpaceX for an additional human spaceflight mission to Haven-1.

This represents the first time in history that a commercial space station company has both a contracted launch for its space station and a visiting human spaceflight mission.

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’s long-term goal is to develop a 100-meter-long multi-module spinning artificial gravity space station launched by SpaceX’s Starship transportation system. In support of this, Vast will explore conducting the world’s first spinning 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 and private individuals involved in science and philanthropic projects. Visit vastspace.com/create your mission for more details.

SpaceX will also provide crew training on Falcon 9 and the Dragon spacecraft, 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.

Illustation - SpaceX Dragon approaching Haven-1 to dock

Haven-1 Features:

  • Compatible docking with the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft
  • Extend the on-orbit duration of commercial Dragon spacecraft human spaceflight missions for up to 30 days for four astronauts
  • Science, research, and in-space manufacturing opportunities - 1000 W of power, 24/7 communications, and up to 150 kg of pre-loaded cargo mass in Haven-1. Opportunities for lunar artificial gravity by spinning.
  • Fully independent space station providing life support functions and consumables for the full mission’s duration.
  • Privacy and control of your crew schedule
  • Large window dome for viewing and photography
  • Always-on internet via onboard Wi-Fi
  • Room to stretch and rest

Vast-1 Our First Expedition to Haven-1

  • Fly to Haven-1 in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft launched by the Falcon 9 rocket
  • For space agencies and private individuals
  • Fly four crew members to Haven-1 for up to 30 days
  • Be the first crew to visit the world’s first commercial space station
  • Available per seat or as a full, four-person crew mission
  • Advanced science, research, and in-space manufacturing opportunities
Illustration - Haven-1 inside the Falcon 9 fairing before launch
Illustration: Haven-1 Space Station Overview
Illustration - SpaceX Dragon approaching to dock
Illustration: Haven-1 hatch
Illustration: Vast team members inside the SpaceX Dragon trainer

About Vast

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. Haven-1, scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station, is currently in development and is expected to launch NET May 2026. Vast is also developing Haven-2, the proposed successor to the International Space Station (ISS), designed to serve NASA’s Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program as a micro-gravity laboratory in space. 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.

Media Contact

Communications, Vast
press@vastspace.com