Vast, a Startup for "human habitation, first in LEO, and then beyond"

[lightleviathan]

Is the Vast rotating station going to be assembled using Falcon 9 sized launches?  If so, this could keep Falcon 9 going for years.

Given that they tout a Starship sized module after Haven-1, it's likely it's going to be assembled using Starship.

[Robotbeat]

Is the Vast rotating station going to be assembled using Falcon 9 sized launches?  If so, this could keep Falcon 9 going for years.

Given that they tout a Starship sized module after Haven-1, it's likely it's going to be assembled using Starship.

It’s explicitly their plan:

[Asteroza]

Is the Vast rotating station going to be assembled using Falcon 9 sized launches?  If so, this could keep Falcon 9 going for years.

Given that they tout a Starship sized module after Haven-1, it's likely it's going to be assembled using Starship.

It’s explicitly their plan:

That hub lip edge sticks out quite a bit from the main cylindrical body of the hub, well beyond where the solar panels might tuck into the side of the main body module. Doesn't that force the overall profile of the module to be skinnier to fit the Starship payload volume?

[Cheapchips]

That hub lip edge sticks out quite a bit from the main cylindrical body of the hub, well beyond where the solar panels might tuck into the side of the main body module. Doesn't that force the overall profile of the module to be skinnier to fit the Starship payload volume?

The Starship modules are 7m diameter. Makes me think they picked 7 so that they could have modules with protrusions.

[Twark_Main]

I have to say, I called it. 

No radiators either.

As mentioned, I suspect the radiators are on the backside of the PV. If you look closely, you'll note that the "PV" is actually made up of two slightly different size panels, one in front of the other.

I think you are reading way more into a hand-drawn sketch than is there.

And I think you're silly to believe a bunch of ex-SpaceXers somehow "forgot" something as basic as radiator panels.

PV panels indeed show the details of what looks like a cooling "circuit," which seems to reinforce my hypothesis about combining PV and radiator panels.

It looks like as the design evolved they went from separate radiators & PV, to combining the primary structures into a single panel.

[Robotbeat]

How will the initial vast habitat rotate to produce the lunar gravity? Or will they have some sort of rotation device inside?

[Twark_Main]

Wheel.jpg

Proving once again the old Akin adage...  "If you want to have a maximum effect on [screwing up] the design of a new engineering system, learn to [make popular movies]. Engineers always wind up designing the vehicle to look like the [movie they saw as a kid]."

[Twark_Main]

How will the initial vast habitat rotate to produce the lunar gravity? Or will they have some sort of rotation device inside?

Presumably just a centrifuge inside, similar to the ISS Multiple Artificial Gravity Research System (MARS) facility.

Note they claim "the world’s first spinning artificial gravity experiment on a commercial space station." I presume the caveat in italics is due to MARS.

[Robotbeat]

How will the initial vast habitat rotate to produce the lunar gravity? Or will they have some sort of rotation device inside?

Presumably just a centrifuge inside, similar to the ISS Multiple Artificial Gravity Research System (MARS) facility.

Note they claim "the world’s first spinning artificial gravity experiment on a commercial space station." I presume the caveat in italics is due to MARS.

I don’t see why they couldn’t try a much larger centrifuge inside. It really is just a merry go round.

The caveat could also be the Gemini-Agena mission which demonstrated very low artificial gravity.

But anyway, I see multiple possibilities:

(And Dragon could conceivably be the counter-weight for 3 and 4, or they could have a separate one.)

[Robotbeat]

Gemini XI did option #3 with the capsule (with crew in it) as the counter-mass.

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/sept-14-1966-gemini-xi-artificial-gravity-experiment

[LMT]

I see multiple possibilities:

Lunar AG during Dragon-dock seems the only option (with shown hw) to keep rotation under 5 rpm.  That's tolerable, I suppose, perhaps with seated arrangements around the dome.

Dragon augments Haven-1 life support, and conversely, Haven-1 will "extend the on-orbit duration of commercial Dragon spacecraft human spaceflight missions for up to 30 days".  And of course Dragon is a lifeboat, too.  So presumably full-mission docking is envisioned.
 

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/vast/status/1658255282039062528

First company-wide all hands: mission success ✅

We were so excited to have (mostly) everyone under the same roof last week at our new Long Beach, CA HQ.

https://twitter.com/vast/status/1658255284404641793

We're hiring for our Long Beach, CA HQ! Check out our open positions here ☞ https://vastspace.com/careers

[TrevorMonty]

In case of ex VO staff as one door closes another opens.

[Twark_Main]

How will the initial vast habitat rotate to produce the lunar gravity? Or will they have some sort of rotation device inside?

Presumably just a centrifuge inside, similar to the ISS Multiple Artificial Gravity Research System (MARS) facility.

Note they claim "the world’s first spinning artificial gravity experiment on a commercial space station." I presume the caveat in italics is due to MARS.

I don’t see why they couldn’t try a much larger centrifuge inside.  ...I see multiple possibilities:

Sure, why not?

But let's be clear that these are just internet speculations, without any evidence from VAST that they will actually do any of these.

Needless to say, I think my "internal centrifuge" speculation is a safe bet.

[Steven Pietrobon]

Lunar AG during Dragon-dock seems the only option (with shown hw) to keep rotation under 5 rpm.  That's tolerable, I suppose, perhaps with seated arrangements around the dome.

Here's an enhanced image, so we can see what's going on!

[Robotbeat]

How will the initial vast habitat rotate to produce the lunar gravity? Or will they have some sort of rotation device inside?

Presumably just a centrifuge inside, similar to the ISS Multiple Artificial Gravity Research System (MARS) facility.

Note they claim "the world’s first spinning artificial gravity experiment on a commercial space station." I presume the caveat in italics is due to MARS.

I don’t see why they couldn’t try a much larger centrifuge inside.  ...I see multiple possibilities:

Sure, why not?

But let's be clear that these are just internet speculations, without any evidence from VAST that they will actually do any of these.

Needless to say, I think my "internal centrifuge" speculation is a safe bet.

I tried to be exhaustive in what options they could pick. I included an internal centrifuge (should’ve labeled it, so I’ll call it option 5).

So actually they kind of have to do one of those, or a variant. Do you have any idea other than those 5 I listed?

[Twark_Main]

Exhausting possibilities is fine, but realistically it's just a short-arm centrifuge. Let's not get people's hopes up. 

If it was more than a short-arm centrifuge their marketing people would have said so, instead of "the world’s first spinning artificial gravity experiment on a commercial space station."

Ironclad capitalism constraint: if marketing says it, they're giving you the most impressive possible spin. Use your decoder ring appropriately.

[Robotbeat]

I think certain kinds of spin gravity where the whole spacecraft stack spins may be fairly easy, too, like with Gemini-Agena. Lunar gravity is pretty low. It would be a simple and likely short-lived demonstration. Like you said, marketing decoder-ring.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/vast/status/1669393625049083904

We are thrilled to announce we have selected Impulse Space (@GoToImpulse) to provide the propulsion system for Haven-1, expected to be the world's first commercial space station.

https://www.vastspace.com/updates/vast-selects-impulse-space-for-haven-1-space-station-propulsion

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/vast/status/1669450330311114752

We are honored to have been selected by @NASA for the second Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities (CCSC-2) initiative. We will be partnering with NASA on key technologies & operations for our microgravity and artificial gravity space stations.

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/seven-us-companies-collaborate-with-nasa-to-advance-space-capabilities