Vast Unveils a Large Docking Adapter Standard

New standard required for the future generation of larger space stations and crewed vehicles

Vast, the company developing next-generation space stations, announced today at the 41st Space Symposium the Large Docking Adapter, including its current development, its availability for purchase, and Vast’s plans to open-source its interface. 

Future space stations will use larger modules, have greater overall mass, and dock with a new generation of bigger crewed vehicles. New docking standards and universal hardware are required for the future generation of space vehicles and habitats. The Large Docking Adapter is engineered to support higher mass and increased structural demands while enabling varying types of modules and vehicles to dock together. By open-sourcing the interface, slated for May 2026, Vast is intending to encourage industry-wide collaboration and accelerate the development of interoperable space systems. 

The adapter is purpose-built to support:

• Launch vehicle separation of larger payloads with higher mass, providing the required load capability and stiffness
• Support for 2 to 20+ module structures, including module-to-module connections for scalable station architectures
• Compatibility with existing International Docking System Standard approach rates and loads
• Large crewed vehicle-to-station docking and standardized interfaces across commercial and international partners

Engineered for Strength, Scale, and Accessibility

Designed for the structural and operational demands of next-generation stations, the adapter delivers substantial performance improvements. The androgynous architecture allows any two compatible vehicles or modules to dock without predefined active/passive roles. This architectural feature enables more optionality in orbit to accommodate future increased cadence of crew and payload arrivals and departures in addition to easing logistical burdens.  

System components include a soft-capture system with petals, latches, and six passive actuators, and a hard-capture system with alignment pins, twelve powered bolts, and redundant, androgynous pressure seals.These features provide the structural strength and stiffness required for larger stations while improving internal accessibility for crew and payload operations. This structure is up to 30 times more rigid than the International Docking Adapter. The adapter can accommodate up to a 6.6 m² pressurized opening area, enabling greater crew and cargo transfer.

The docking adapter can be purchased by government agencies, and other commercial space companies including station, payload, and vehicle manufacturers. Vast invites the industry to adopt and build on the Large Docking Adapter standard, advancing a shared, interoperable future in orbit. 

To learn more, visit: www.vastspace.com/large-docking-adapter

‍

About Vast

Vast is developing next-generation space stations 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. Using an incremental, hardware-rich and low-cost approach, Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station. 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 to enable permanent human presence by 2030.

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 for the Moon and Mars, dedicated space stations for government partners, and other crewed systems that will unlock the expanding long-term space economy.