SpaceX and Vast are partnering to launch the first private commercial space station.
The plan is for the Vast Haven-1 to reach low-earth orbit in August 2025 and act as an independently crewed station for SpaceX and other space agencies. The Haven-1 would connect to a larger Vast base currently in development with no launch date.
The larger Vast station would be a 328-foot-long spinning artificial gravity station, which Starship will eventually deliver. The goal for Vast is to create a viable and usable space station that could be used to replace the ageing International Space Station (ISS). The ISS currently has at least another seven years of life but could be extended with necessary repairs and upgrades.
SpaceX SVP of Commercial Business, Tom Ochinero, had this to say about the partnership:
A commercial rocket launching a commercial spacecraft with commercial astronauts to a commercial space station is the future of low-Earth orbit. 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.
As Vast continues to develop the larger station, the company is already selling up to four crewed seats for its inaugural Haven-1 mission. The company did not confirm pricing, but a ticket includes training on SpaceX ships, spacesuits, mission simulations, docking and undocking with Haven-1. At least to say, it will be an expensive but certainly amazing trip to space.
