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

[ParabolicSnark]

Alright, points to Vast for the most interesting take on a factory tour. I dig it. I'm impressed by the lack of people freaking out about a drone flying right by them. The B-roll has got to be great.

Overall it looks like they've allocated a lot of space to avionics and subassembly clean rooms. I would have expected more space dedicated to the large-scale integration needs for the habitat.

[catdlr]

https://twitter.com/vast/status/1777684052968886657

VΛST
@vast
Announcement: Haven-1 to be the world’s first commercial space station connected by SpaceX Starlink: https://vastspace.com/updates/vasts-haven-1-to-be-worlds-first-commercial-space-station-connected-by-spacex-starlink
@SpaceX
 
@Starlink

[FutureSpaceTourist]

[Matthew Ak43]

Can the solar panels still work effectively if they are spinning like that?

[Paul451]

Still no radiators. That's a lot of power generation, on top of the direct insolation, so where's the waste heat going?

[Paul451]

Can the solar panels still work effectively if they are spinning like that?

Why do you think they wouldn't?

[chopsticks]

Still no radiators. That's a lot of power generation, on top of the direct insolation, so where's the waste heat going?

The back of the solar panels perhaps are radiators? Isn't this a thing?

[Twark_Main]

Still no radiators. That's a lot of power generation, on top of the direct insolation, so where's the waste heat going?

The back of the solar panels perhaps are radiators? Isn't this a thing?

Yes it is, and yes that's their plan. On the very first video on VAST's Youtube channel, you can clearly see the cooling loop on the backside of the PV as it deploys.

[edzieba]

Still no radiators. That's a lot of power generation, on top of the direct insolation, so where's the waste heat going?

The back of the solar panels perhaps are radiators? Isn't this a thing?

It's not the most mass-efficient option - radiators on the panel backsides can only use one surface to radiate and can only radiate to half the sky, whereas independent panels perpendicular to the solar arrays (knife-edge to the Sun) can radiate from both sides and to nearly the entire sky. But if you are optimising for other factors than mass-efficiency, there is nothing to prevent them from working. e.g. simplification of deployment (if your solar arrays are deployed, your radiator arrays are deployed), tolerance for the rotating mode, etc.

[Twark_Main]

radiators on the panel backsides can only use one surface to radiate and can only radiate to half the sky, whereas independent panels perpendicular to the solar arrays (knife-edge to the Sun) can radiate from both sides and to nearly the entire sky

Mathematically, this is the wrong model.

It's not that you lose your T⁴ radiating power on the Sun-facing hemisphere. It's that you gain solar heating on that face (at least whatever isn't reflected by the 'Solar White' coating).

Based on thermal modeling a designer might choose to add thermal insulation on one side (which would make you "only radiate to half the sky"), but that's a separate design decision from face-on vs. knife-edge orientation.

[edzieba]

radiators on the panel backsides can only use one surface to radiate and can only radiate to half the sky, whereas independent panels perpendicular to the solar arrays (knife-edge to the Sun) can radiate from both sides and to nearly the entire sky

Mathematically, this is the wrong model.

It's not that you lose your T⁴ radiating power on the Sun-facing hemisphere. It's that you gain solar heating on that face (at least whatever isn't reflected by the 'Solar White' coating).

Based on thermal modeling a designer might choose to add thermal insulation on one side (which would make you "only radiate to half the sky"), but that's a separate design decision from face-on vs. knife-edge orientation.

Since cooking your solar array from the front as well as from the back is not desirable, nor is solar heating your radiator, I hadn't even considered one would ever not insulate between the two.

[matt19215]

“ This month we completed our Haven-1 primary structure pathfinder which proved we could build in house all the critical geometries, transitions, and interfaces of Haven-1. Next up - building the primary structure qualification article which will undergo pressure and load tests.”

https://x.com/vast/status/1785025764435566977?s=46&t=ySaWSLoZU6lwZ7u03-FcBQ

[gongora]

0634-EX-ST-2024

Demo mission NET January on (Bandwagon 3? or a Transporter mission if it doesn't make that flight).  Basically testing the spacecraft bus components without the pressurized volume, which makes a lot of sense.

The goal of the Haven-Demo mission is to demonstrate the functionality of select critical components and systems for Haven-1 under operational mission conditions. The Haven-Demo spacecraft will host a radiofrequency communications system; guidance, navigation, and control hardware and algorithms; solar array and power systems; and a propulsion system representative of what Vast intends to use with Haven-1. The Haven-Demo mission aims to bring the Technology Readiness Level of these components and systems from 8 (qualified) to 9 (flight proven).

[whitelancer64]

Alright, points to Vast for the most interesting take on a factory tour. I dig it. I'm impressed by the lack of people freaking out about a drone flying right by them. The B-roll has got to be great.

Overall it looks like they've allocated a lot of space to avionics and subassembly clean rooms. I would have expected more space dedicated to the large-scale integration needs for the habitat.

My company recently had a customer film a brief clip for a commercial in our manufacturing area, using a drone. Half of our company was involved / work disrupted for a couple of hours, and they did a bunch of test flights / practice shots, so everyone was well aware where the drone was going and when. Also the drone was very noisy in an indoor space, you'd easily hear it coming.

It's an awesome shot in the Vast video, but I'm not surprised that nobody was freaking out.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/astro_g_dogg/status/1787965090802659419

Check out the @vast Haven-1 primary structure pathfinder!  The world’s first private space station.  Taking reservations today!

[FutureSpaceTourist]

[Tywin]

DHV is a solar panel space company from Spain...

https://dhvtechnology.com/

[FutureSpaceTourist]

[Danderman]

The large Vast station will be 100 meters long and provide 1 G acceleration at the ends.

So, what about Coriolis forces, where people's heads will have a different acceleration than their feet? What are the the possible effects on the human body?

[Paul451]

If only we had someone building an AG station to let us research such issues. Oh wait.