https://x.com/kmreed/status/1889447956958359982QuoteKevin Michael Reed@kmreed.@vast gave @NASASpaceflight's @KSpaceAcademy an exclusive tour of their Long Beach, CA, Space Station development facility. Tune in at 7 PM EST tonight to see the future of VAST's American-made space stations.https://x.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1889456339157426195https://bsky.app/profile/nasaspaceflight.com/post/3lhwsv335ys25
Kevin Michael Reed@kmreed.@vast gave @NASASpaceflight's @KSpaceAcademy an exclusive tour of their Long Beach, CA, Space Station development facility. Tune in at 7 PM EST tonight to see the future of VAST's American-made space stations.
It would have been nice know why aluminium won in their four month competition against steel. Gravitics obviously went with the alternative option. I was struck that the othogrid panels sounded like something they could churn out. In the tour of Vulcan factory, Mr Bruno made it sound like bending quite an artisan process. Vulcans panels are quite a bit bigger though.
One change since the announcement of Haven-1 is a change from stainless steel to aluminum for the structure of the station. “We felt that it was going to be faster and much lower cost to do additional volume. It turned out to be a lot slower,” he said of stainless steel. The challenges with stainless steel included mass margins on the Falcon 9 rocket launching Haven-1 as well as specialized tooling needed to produce the components.
Feature article on @vast's progress towards the first private commercial space station, following testing of its Haven-1 qualification article, and the company’s current goal is to launch the flight article aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in 2026.
Haven-1 solar arrays use triple junction solar cells to capture a broad range of light wavelengths to help power our systems. We perform electroluminescence (EL) tests, applying currents to the cells to emit light at known wavelengths.EL testing allows us to inspect each semiconductor layer, identify potential damage, and ensure peak performance.
Following our recent tour with Max Haot, the VAST CEO will join us for a special NSF Live on Monday to discuss the company's construction of a new generation of space stations.
Testing is underway at @NASA_Marshall for Haven-1’s trace contaminant control system. Over the next month, we will continue validating the system’s ability to remove toxic pollutants introduced by the crew and equipment, ensuring clean air for all missions.
The flight design pressure plate of the Haven-1 hatch is now ready for inspection. The hatch serves as the crew's entry point and features redundant pressure seals, a window, and built-in shielding to protect the station from micrometeoroids and orbital debris while in space.
Our first Haven-1 flight primary structure welds occurred last week, marking a major milestone as we prepare for launch next year. The first barrel of Haven-1 has been rolled and welded, bringing the station another step closer to flight.
We're machining Haven-1's flight panels in-house, leveraging vertical integration for speed and efficiency.Full control enables rapid iterations and optimized manufacturing, accelerating our mission to make space accessible to all.
We tested and deployed the solar array of Haven Demo in a flight-like configuration to ensure there were no motion restrictions or configuration issues during deployment. The test allowed us to identify and adopt additional minor adjustments to optimize our configuration and ensure proper performance of the arrays in-orbit.The video features real footage captured from Haven Demo’s onboard cameras.
A billionaire is risking half of his scamcurrency fortune to build the first commercial space station. Success could win his startup, Vast Space, a lucrative NASA contract to replace the ISS.Failure could cost him $1 billion https://trib.al/rXJMWIS
The Haven-1 thermal control system's primary job is to keep the space station, all the components, and the crew operating within safe temperature limits.These additively manufactured cold plates are used to directly conduct heat away from avionics components into our thermal control fluid; this is the first batch of cold plates we will fly on Haven-1.
Astronaut @Cmdr_Hadfield stopped by Vast HQ in Long Beach to get a firsthand look at our latest hardware developments and share insights from his time on the International Space Station.
Vast and NASA have signed an agreement to allow Vast to perform the final environmental test campaign of the Haven-1 flight-ready station at NASA’s Glenn Research Center at Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. Haven-1 testing will occur at the Neil Armstrong Test Facility’s Space Environments Complex, home to some of the world's largest and most capable space simulation test facilities. Scheduled to begin in early 2026, Haven-1 will undergo rigorous testing to verify its performance and reliability when exposed to environments it will experience during launch and on-orbit operations, including acoustics, vibration, electromagnetic interference, and thermal vacuum. Haven-1, Vast’s commercial space station and crewed microgravity research, development, and manufacturing platform, built at historically low-costs, aims to open up new frontiers in space science by broadening access for more nations and commercial partners to conduct research and contribute to making long-term space habitation possible. This testing agreement is another significant milestone, demonstrating Vast’s rapid progress as an official Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program partner."We're thankful for NASA's support to test the Haven-1 flight vehicle at this historical and world-renowned facility; it is a testament to the growing importance of Vast as a commercial destination partner. Having a proven commercial space station on orbit before the International Space Station is retired is critical," said Max Haot, CEO of Vast.Vast recently successfully completed its pressure test of the Haven-1 primary structure qualification article, and is currently building the flight-ready primary structure for this testing milestone. Haven-1 is scheduled to launch no earlier than May 2026.
Haven Demo integration is underway as we prepare for on orbit testing of Haven-1’s core systems later this year. The satellite's testing will include power, communications, propulsion, video, thermal control, software, avionics, ground systems, attitude control, and mission operations.
You mean Haven-1? Or like a smaller uncrewed satellite?
A Falcon 9 will launch the Bandwagon-3 rideshare mission from pad 40 on April TBD.
The Haven-1 Experience is a full-scale, 1:1 walkthrough of the world’s first commercial space station—designed to give an up-close look at key interior features, including the Haven-1 Lab, crew quarters, and zero-gravity sleep system.
Vast is proud to welcome JAMSS, @InterstellarLA, and @exobiosphere as the latest payload partners aboard the Haven-1 Lab, the world’s first microgravity research, development, and manufacturing platform on a commercial crewed space station.They will join previously announced partners @yurigravity and @RedwireSpace in shaping the future of microgravity research. With the lab nearly at capacity, there are only a few more opportunities to add additional partners.
Vast has signed a strategic agreement with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space® (CASIS) to support scientific research through the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory. This milestone partnership reinforces Vast’s commitment to advancing space-based research and strengthens its position as a key player in NASA’s private astronaut missions (PAM) to the ISS.CASIS, manager of the ISS National Lab, awarded the partnership based on Vast’s innovative spacecraft designs and its forward-thinking technical and commercial approach—elements that are poised to enhance in-orbit service technologies, expand access to the ISS for new user groups, and benefit life for humanity through space-based research.Under the agreement, CASIS will collaborate on initiatives proposed by Vast designed to accelerate advancements in scientific discovery, commercial applications, and space station technology. The agreement also supports Vast’s plans to conduct research proposed by astronauts and agencies collaborating on future NASA private astronaut missions.“This agreement gives Vast direct access to the ISS—a critical step as we prepare our NASA Private Astronaut Mission bid,” said Max Haot, CEO of Vast. “It enables us to fly science, validate our technologies in microgravity, and continue close collaboration with NASA—all of which are essential as we advance the design of our proposed ISS replacement and solidify our role as a NASA Commercial LEO Development Program partner.”Vast and CASIS share a common vision: to broaden commercial and international access to the unique research environment of space as a critical step toward building a thriving low-Earth orbit (LEO) economy. Their collaboration will facilitate research with long-term benefits for humanity and drive innovation in space exploration.“The role of the ISS National Lab is to open access and opportunity for the research community, and those seeking to advance technologies onboard this unique orbiting outpost. We’re excited to collaborate with and support Vast as they ambitiously seek to push the limits of innovation, inspiration, and participation beyond Earth’s horizons,” added Ray Lugo, CEO of CASIS.Last year, Vast announced plans to compete for the next two anticipated NASA PAMs. That commitment was further reinforced in December, when Vast formalized an agreement with SpaceX for two Dragon missions to the ISS in support of a future bid for PAMs.
