{"id":21277,"date":"2026-02-24T00:28:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T16:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/vast-selected-for-sixth-private-astronaut-mission-to-iss\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T00:28:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T16:28:09","slug":"vast-selected-for-sixth-private-astronaut-mission-to-iss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/vast-selected-for-sixth-private-astronaut-mission-to-iss\/","title":{"rendered":"Vast selected for sixth private astronaut mission to ISS"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"img-border featured-image\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"100%\" src=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/03\/FqTBlWFakAIIGF0.jpg?quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1500\" class=\"skip-lazy wp-post-image\" alt=\"spacex crew-6 dragon in space\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/03\/FqTBlWFakAIIGF0.jpg?w=320&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/03\/FqTBlWFakAIIGF0.jpg?w=640&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/03\/FqTBlWFakAIIGF0.jpg?w=1024&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/03\/FqTBlWFakAIIGF0.jpg?w=1500&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 1500w\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" data-attachment-id=\"34482\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/2023\/03\/03\/spacex-crew-6-arrive-and-dock-at-the-iss-beginning-its-six-month-stay\/fqtblwfakaiigf0\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/03\/FqTBlWFakAIIGF0.jpg?quality=82&amp;strip=all\" data-orig-size=\"1500,836\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"spacex crew-6 in space\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\n\n<p>Image: SpaceX<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/03\/FqTBlWFakAIIGF0.jpg?quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024&#8243;><figcaption>\n\t\t\t\tImage: SpaceX\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NASA has signed a contract with Vast for the sixth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, with a launch targeted no earlier than summer 2027. The mission is expected to last up to 14 days in orbit and will fly aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft.<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"more-44033\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Editor\u2019s note: This article was updated February 23 to include information about Vast\u2019s hiring of Nicole Jordan as vice president of mission management.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under NASA\u2019s private astronaut mission framework, Vast will propose a crew of up to four individuals for review by NASA and its international partners before entering formal training. While previous private astronaut missions have flown to the ISS, this marks Vast\u2019s first time leading such a mission.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To date, four private astronaut missions have flown to the space station, all by Axiom Space. A fifth, also by Axiom, is planned for early 2027.<\/p>\n<p>\t<span class=\"outbrain-ad-label\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t<script type=\"text\/plain\">\n\t\t\twindow.adSlotsConfig = window.adSlotsConfig || [];<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\tadSlotsConfig.push( {\n\t\t\t\tslotID: '\/1049447\/Outbrain',\n\t\t\t\tslotName: 'div-gpt-ad-outbrain-ad-44033',\n\t\t\t\tsizes: [300, 250],\n\t\t\t\tslotPosition: 'mid_article'\n\t\t\t} );\n\t\t<\/script><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The contract with Vast comes as NASA continues its strategy to foster a commercially-led presence in low Earth orbit. With the ISS expected to be retired at the end of the decade, the agency has encouraged private companies to develop independent orbital destinations capable of supporting research and human spaceflight, with NASA positioned as one of many customers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vast, founded in 2021 and headquartered in Long Beach, California, has positioned itself as one of the newer entrants in that emerging commercial space station market. The company\u2019s roadmap centers on a planned habitat called Haven-1, described as a single-module space station that could operate independently in orbit. It\u2019s currently targeted for launch no earlier than 2027 and is intended to serve both as a private astronaut destination and as a microgravity research platform.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the heart of Vast\u2019s pitch is science. The company has outlined plans for Haven-1 to include standardized research compartments known as middeck locker equivalent payloads, modular experiment slots similar to those used aboard the ISS. Each slot would support defined mass, power, and data allocations, enabling compact investigations in biotechnology, materials science, and human physiology.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"44035\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/2026\/02\/23\/vast-selected-for-sixth-private-astronaut-mission-to-iss\/screenshot-24\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/02\/67db43b30d140d8f74fd67cf_6fc930787a8da95b7667312370b64209_HeroNEW_Haven12BDragon.jpg?quality=82&amp;strip=all\" data-orig-size=\"1918,960\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"Screenshot\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\n\n<p>Screenshot<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/02\/67db43b30d140d8f74fd67cf_6fc930787a8da95b7667312370b64209_HeroNEW_Haven12BDragon.jpg?quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024&#8243; height=&#8221;513&#8243; width=&#8221;1024&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/02\/67db43b30d140d8f74fd67cf_6fc930787a8da95b7667312370b64209_HeroNEW_Haven12BDragon.jpg?quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024&#8243; alt=&#8221;&#8221; class=&#8221;wp-image-44035&#8243; srcset=&#8221;https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/02\/67db43b30d140d8f74fd67cf_6fc930787a8da95b7667312370b64209_HeroNEW_Haven12BDragon.jpg 1918w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/02\/67db43b30d140d8f74fd67cf_6fc930787a8da95b7667312370b64209_HeroNEW_Haven12BDragon.jpg?resize=300,150 300w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/02\/67db43b30d140d8f74fd67cf_6fc930787a8da95b7667312370b64209_HeroNEW_Haven12BDragon.jpg?resize=768,384 768w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/02\/67db43b30d140d8f74fd67cf_6fc930787a8da95b7667312370b64209_HeroNEW_Haven12BDragon.jpg?resize=1024,513 1024w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/02\/67db43b30d140d8f74fd67cf_6fc930787a8da95b7667312370b64209_HeroNEW_Haven12BDragon.jpg?resize=1536,769 1536w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/02\/67db43b30d140d8f74fd67cf_6fc930787a8da95b7667312370b64209_HeroNEW_Haven12BDragon.jpg?resize=350,175 350w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/02\/67db43b30d140d8f74fd67cf_6fc930787a8da95b7667312370b64209_HeroNEW_Haven12BDragon.jpg?resize=140,70 140w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/02\/67db43b30d140d8f74fd67cf_6fc930787a8da95b7667312370b64209_HeroNEW_Haven12BDragon.jpg?resize=1600,801 1600w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/02\/67db43b30d140d8f74fd67cf_6fc930787a8da95b7667312370b64209_HeroNEW_Haven12BDragon.jpg?resize=290,145 290w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/02\/67db43b30d140d8f74fd67cf_6fc930787a8da95b7667312370b64209_HeroNEW_Haven12BDragon.jpg?resize=600,300 600w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/02\/67db43b30d140d8f74fd67cf_6fc930787a8da95b7667312370b64209_HeroNEW_Haven12BDragon.jpg?resize=150,75 150w&#8221; sizes=&#8221;(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px&#8221;><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An illustration of Vast\u2019s Haven-1 space station with a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked. Image: Vast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As it prepares for its first NASA-sponsored private astronaut mission, Vast announced February 19 it hired longtime NASA Commercial Crew Program executive Nicole Jordan as vice president of mission management.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jordan spent more than two decades at NASA, most recently as manager of the Commercial Crew Program\u2019s Spacecraft Office, which is responsible for overseeing spacecraft certification for Boeing and SpaceX. She joined the program in 2017 after roles in flight operations and spacecraft integration, and earlier in her career served as a flight lead for SpaceX\u2019s first operational ISS cargo mission.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the company prepares for its planned commercial space station operations and private astronaut missions, including its NASA-selected private mission to the ISS, experience with certification requirements and flight readiness becomes increasingly relevant. Human spaceflight operates within defined safety standards, engineering discipline, and flight readiness reviews.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jordan\u2019s background includes direct experience with NASA\u2019s commercial crew oversight and certification processes, providing expertise relevant to planning and executing crewed missions at Vast.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-microgravity-matters-nbsp\"><strong>Why microgravity matters&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Microgravity research is not simply about floating astronauts. In orbit, gravity-driven effects such as buoyancy, sedimentation, and convection are dramatically reduced. That changes how fluids mix, how crystals form, how flames burn, and even how cells grow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Earth, warm air rises and cool air sinks, constantly stirring liquids and gases. In microgravity, those convection currents largely disappear. Scientists can observe more subtle physical processes that are otherwise masked by gravity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Protein crystals, for example, can grow more uniformly in orbit, potentially helping researchers refine drug design. Studies of combustion in microgravity reveal spherical flame shapes and different soot formation patterns, contributing to improved fire safety models. Materials experiments can examine how alloys solidify without gravity-driven separation of components.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Human biology also behaves differently in orbit. Astronauts experience bone density loss, muscle atrophy, fluid shifts, and changes in immune response. While those effects present challenges for long-duration missions, they also provide researchers with accelerated models of aging, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular adaptation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For commercial station developers, microgravity research represents both a scientific mission and a potential business model. Pharmaceutical development, advanced materials manufacturing, and biotechnology companies have all expressed interest in orbital research and development, though the economic viability of those efforts remains an open question.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-operational-experience-as-a-stepping-stone-nbsp\"><strong>Operational experience as a stepping stone&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The upcoming ISS mission offers Vast more than research time. Operating a crewed flight requires integration with NASA\u2019s established human spaceflight infrastructure. That includes safety certification, life-support monitoring, medical contingency planning, crew scheduling, and coordination with flight controllers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even a two-week mission must align with the space station\u2019s visiting vehicle docking schedules, power budgets, and data systems. Experiments undergo detailed hazard reviews and must fit within carefully allocated crew time. Participating directly in this environment could provide Vast with operational insight as it develops Haven-1.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Independent habitats must manage environmental control and life-support systems, radiation mitigation, thermal control, communications, and onboard computing without relying on ISS infrastructure. Experience navigating NASA\u2019s human-rating standards and operational processes may inform future design and procedural decisions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NASA has described these private astronaut missions as part of a broader effort to stimulate commercial activity in low Earth orbit while maintaining safety oversight. For Vast, the 2027 mission represents an opportunity to participate directly in the ecosystem it hopes to help replace.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the ISS approaches its planned retirement, the outcome of these commercial initiatives may influence how scientific access to microgravity continues into the 2030s, and which companies operate the next generation of orbital laboratories.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An illustration of Vast\u2019s Haven-1 space station with a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked. Image: Vast As it prepares for its first NASA-sponsored private astronaut mission, Vast announced February 19 it hired longtime NASA Commercial Crew Program executive Nicole Jordan as vice president of mission management. Jordan spent more than two decades at NASA, most [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21277"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21277"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21277\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}