Startup of the space station with artificial gravity Definitely announced that it plans to launch the first commercial space station into orbit in August 2025 via launch partner SpaceX – which will also provide that space station’s first human inhabitants with SpaceX’s Dragon crew capsule a short time later.
Vast, which first debuted its ambitious goal of building a 100-meter-long, modular artificial space station with artificial gravity powered by rotational speed last year, has named its first station Haven-1. The station is intended to operate on its own initially, but will eventually become a module in a larger Fixed Station when it connects to others launched later.
Haven-1 is small enough to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and is designed to accommodate up to four crew members at a time. It has a docking hatch designed for Crew Dragon and appears to be just over double the height of SpaceX’s human-rated spacecraft.
In its original single-module form, the Vast station is primarily intended as an extended stay destination for Dragon flights, giving four people a little more room to stretch their legs – along with opportunities for “science, research and manufacturing in space” . ” for a stay of up to 30 days in orbit. The station also provides power, 24-hour connectivity via onboard Wi-Fi, and “consumables” (a minibar?) throughout the stay.
Vast-1, the mission that the company says will deliver the station’s first four human occupants, is actually available for booking — the company is selling each of the four seats and is open to both space agencies and their professional astronauts. as well as individuals seeking to do scientific or philanthropic work. Vast also has an option on the books with SpaceX for a second mission, Vast-2, to fly in 2026 – depending on demand, I guess?
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The 2025 date, if it remains, will beat other planned commercial space stations to operational status — including the private Starlab project from Nanoracks, Lockheed Martin and Voyager Space, which is aiming for 2027, and Axiom, which is targeting “so far.” end of 2025”. ” for the launch of the first part of the planned orbital platform.
