{"id":9856,"date":"2025-05-07T22:00:31","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T14:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/vast-to-complete-haven-1-primary-structure-in-july-2025-ahead-of-target-may-2026-launch-date\/"},"modified":"2025-05-07T22:00:31","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T14:00:31","slug":"vast-to-complete-haven-1-primary-structure-in-july-2025-ahead-of-target-may-2026-launch-date","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/vast-to-complete-haven-1-primary-structure-in-july-2025-ahead-of-target-may-2026-launch-date\/","title":{"rendered":"Vast to complete Haven-1 primary structure in July 2025, ahead of target May 2026 launch date"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_69516\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69516\" style=\"width: 876px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69516\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_model.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"876\" height=\"493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_model.jpg 876w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_model-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_model-678x381.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_model-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 876px) 100vw, 876px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-69516\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A model of the final version of Vast\u2019s Haven-1 space station is shown with a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked. The model was on display at the 40th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado in April 2025. Image: Will Robinson-Smith\/Spaceflight Now<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Space habitation company, Vast, is now one year away from being able to stake its claim as the first commercial space station in history.<\/p>\n<p>The company based in Long Beach, California, aims to launch its single-module Haven-1 space station on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in May 2026. To that end, it completed both its primary structure and qualification article and is moving into manufacturing the flight version.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve locked the design, we\u2019ve released those drawings to our manufacturing CNC shop and we are welding it with a view to start integration and complete the flight primary structure by the end of July,\u201d said Vast CEO Max Haot. \u201cSo, a lot more visible progress. We are just finishing out control room now. The team is there, everybody\u2019s focused and locked in on it and we\u2019re getting it done.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Speaking with Spaceflight Now at the 40th Space Symposium in Colorado in April, Haot said the Vast team encompasses about 800 people at facilities across the United States. The company plans to grow by about 50 people each month and will have a roughly 1,000-person workforce in place by the time they\u2019re ready to fly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt feels great. It feels easier every day than it was when we had less people, less facilities and, maybe more time, but still a lot to do,\u201d Haot said.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DcC44IwCULk?si=sfnXzBcZqDCpOUpR\" width=\"678\" height=\"381\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Vast announced Haven-1 back in 2023 as it works to design and manufacture a space station capable of succeeding the International Space Station. NASA signed five-year, unfunded Space Act Agreement (SAA) with Vast on June 13, 2023, with the stated purpose of helping Vast\u2019s \u201cconcept maturation and eventual implementation of [its] space station modules.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs part of the agency\u2019s overall efforts, NASA is supporting the design and development of multiple commercial space stations through funded and unfunded agreements using a two-phase approach,\u201d NASA said in a statement to Spaceflight Now.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDuring the first phase, NASA is assisting its commercial space station partners in the completion of preliminary design review, or greater level of design maturity, on their concepts for future commercial station and<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>service offerings. The providers are on track to meet that goal with some already beginning testing and manufacturing of key systems and elements.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_69517\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69517\" style=\"width: 876px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69517\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_Station_A.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"876\" height=\"493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_Station_A.jpg 876w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_Station_A-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_Station_A-678x381.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_Station_A-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 876px) 100vw, 876px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-69517\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An artist\u2019s rendering of Vast\u2019s Haven-1 space station in low Earth orbit. Illustration: Vast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>While the timing has shifted somewhat over the years since, Vast\u2019s SAA also laid out the company\u2019s planned 22-milestone roadmap to give NASA an overview of where it intended to go throughout the development process, ultimately leading to the Haven-2 space station, which is designed to be capable of replacing the ISS by 2028:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>May 2023 \u2013 SAA Kickoff Meeting<\/li>\n<li>June 2023 \u2013 Attitude Navigation Hardware Development Test<\/li>\n<li>July 2023 \u2013 Sub-Scale Demo Module Primary Design Review (PDR)<\/li>\n<li>Nov. 2023 \u2013 Oxygen Pressurization Demonstration<\/li>\n<li>Jan. 2024 \u2013 Large Window Pressure Test<\/li>\n<li>March 2024 \u2013 Air Revitalization Characterization Test<\/li>\n<li>May 2024 \u2013 Sub-Scale Demo Module Critical Design Review (CDR)<\/li>\n<li>Nov. 2024 \u2013 Sub-Scale Solar Array Deployment Test<\/li>\n<li>Jan. 2025 \u2013 Sub-Scale Demo Module Test Readiness Review (TRR)<\/li>\n<li>Feb. 2025 \u2013 Hardware-in-the-Loop Mission Simulation<\/li>\n<li>Aug. 2025 \u2013 Sub-Scale Demo Module Delivery to Launch Site<\/li>\n<li>Oct. 2025 \u2013 Full-Scale Demo Module Preliminary Design Review<\/li>\n<li>Dec. 2025 \u2013 Sub-Scale Module Launch<\/li>\n<li>March 2026 \u2013 Sub-Scale Demo Module Crew Mission<\/li>\n<li>July 2026 \u2013 Sub-Scale Demo Module Spin Test 1<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Oct. 2026 \u2013 Sub-Scale Demo Module Spin Test 2<\/li>\n<li>Jan. 2027 \u2013 Full-Scale Demo Module Critical Design Review (CDR)<\/li>\n<li>April 2027 \u2013 Full-Scale Solar Array Deployment Test<\/li>\n<li>July 2027 \u2013 Full-Scale Launch Separation System Test<\/li>\n<li>Oct. 2027 \u2013 Full-Scale Pressure Hull Proof Test<\/li>\n<li>March 2028 \u2013 Full-Scale Demo Module Test Readiness Review<\/li>\n<li>April 2028 \u2013 Full-Scale Hardware-in-the-Loop Mission Simulation<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Back in February, Vast announced the completion of the Haven-1 primary structure qualification testing out at their facilities in Mojave, California. Through the experience of getting up to and through that testing, they made the determination that a launch in August 2025 wasn\u2019t feasible and shifted the planned launch date to no earlier than May 2026.<\/p>\n<p>A Vast spokesperson confirmed on April 28, 2025, that both the Oxygen Pressurization Demonstration and Large Window Pressure Test milestones were successfully completed and said others, like the Air Revitalization Characterization Test, are also in the books.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re progressing on track aligned with our scheduled launch of Haven-1 in May 2026. We will complete the manufacturing and testing of the flight primary structure in July 2025 and later in the summer, we\u2019ll launch Haven Demo, an in-orbit testbed for critical space station technologies and qualified hardware and software,\u201d the Vast spokesperson said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom July-December 2025, we\u2019ll complete the vehicle integration and checkout, including subsystem manufacturing and testing. Then the environmental test campaign (acoustics, vibration, EMI, TVAC) will take place at&nbsp;NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center at the Neil Armstrong Test Facility&nbsp;from January-March 2026 before the final step of pre-launch operations and planning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>EMI is shorthand for EMI\/EMC or Electromagnetic Interference\/Electromagnetic Compatibility testing, which helps ensure the reliability of electronic systems within a spacecraft. TVAC is an abbreviation for thermal vacuum testing, which involves exposing a spacecraft to a simulated space environment in a controlled chamber.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement to Spaceflight Now, NASA also clarified its role in the agreement, stating that it\u2019s \u201cproviding support on request\u201d and using \u201cminimal government resources\u201d to do so, similar to the other SAA recipients.<\/p>\n<p>The agency also said that the 22 milestones laid out by Vast in 2023 are more like guidelines than hard and fast rules. Also, since no money was exchanged for this agreement, NASA said, \u201cMilestones are unfunded and there is no requirement for completion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile the milestones are intended to provide a measure of progress, they are not a partner responsibility under the agreement,\u201d NASA said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_69518\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69518\" style=\"width: 876px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69518\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_TVAC_GRC.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"876\" height=\"574\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_TVAC_GRC.jpg 876w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_TVAC_GRC-300x197.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_TVAC_GRC-678x444.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_TVAC_GRC-768x503.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 876px) 100vw, 876px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-69518\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVAC) inside NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center at Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. The photo is a wide-angle view into the test chamber of the Space Environments Complex (SEC). Image: NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Haot said before the Haven-1 environmental test campaign begins, Vast will continue testing each piece and sub-assembly of their space station at their own facilities. But once the vehicle is fully integrated and is a single, 14-ton structure, he said they really needed NASA on board for the next phase, which centers on the vibration test and a thermal vacuum test.<\/p>\n<p>For that work, they were able to reach a contract agreement with NASA to send the Haven-1 flight article to NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center at the Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. That test campaign will begin in early 2026.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s basically no other facility in the world that could test such a big object as Haven-1. So firstly, it\u2019s a relief that we have the slot. We booked it, we signed a contract because there\u2019s not any other place we can do it,\u201d Haot said. \u201cAnd also, the contract was actually sponsored, in some ways, supported by NASA, so that we actually have priority over other programs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The next big announcement from Vast will be naming the crew who will be the first to fly onboard Haven-1. Haot said to expect that news \u201cat some point soon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur goal is to secure it with mostly space agencies, international space agencies because Haven-1 is designed to be a proof point for NASA that we can work with them. So, that\u2019s our ideal customer,\u201d Haot said. \u201cWe are in negotiations with multiple international space agencies and I can\u2019t wait to eventually reveal who the crew is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Haot said they are also getting interest from private individuals, but stressed that those who come on board need to be science focused, not tourists.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNone of the people that we talk to want to be tourists. They want to work with the payloads in the Haven-1 lab facility we have,\u201d Haot said.<\/p>\n<h4>Form meets function<\/h4>\n<p>The Haven-1 spacecraft has a 45-meter-cubed volume and is designed to support up to four crew members for missions of an average of two-weeks in length.<\/p>\n<p>It consists of four crew quarters for sleeping, several mid-deck lockers for science modules, a common area with a deployable table and multiple crew interfaces.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_69519\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69519\" style=\"width: 876px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69519\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_InteriorCutaway.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"876\" height=\"493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_InteriorCutaway.jpg 876w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_InteriorCutaway-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_InteriorCutaway-678x381.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_InteriorCutaway-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 876px) 100vw, 876px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-69519\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An artist\u2019s rendering of the cross-section of Vast\u2019s Haven-1 space station. Graphic: Vast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Those who see it may conjure up memories of an Apple Store and there\u2019s a good reason for that. The combination of replica wood panels and a creamy-white color scheme come, in part, from the mind of Peter Russell-Clarke, a former Apple designer who helped influence the layout of the tech giant\u2019s headquarters, stores and the design of products like the Apple Watch, iPhones and Mac computers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re not building a luxury destination. We\u2019re building a laboratory in space, but it should feel good. It should great to sleep in it. You should feel rested. It should be easy to communicate,\u201d Haot said. \u201cThat means creating an environment that is comfortable to the human, to enhance the key mission objective.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew Feustel, Vast\u2019s Lead Astronaut who goes by Drew, told Spaceflight Now that the idea was to bring a sense of Earth onto the Haven-1 in order to make it as comfortable as possible. He said when crafting the wood-like walls, they began with maple wood slats and then moved to a veneer finish on a honeycomb background.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe idea is that you create natural surfaces to give you that connection back to Earth,\u201d Feustel said. \u201cOne of the things that many astronauts talk about is that separation of having six people or eight people or one person in space separated from the seven billion people down on the planet and that does create a psychological separation from Earth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, having a spacecraft that reconnects you makes it easier to psychologically stay connected to the people you know and love and everything you know about life, which is down there on that planet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1915844545268617452&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2F2025%2F05%2F07%2Fvast-to-complete-haven-1-primary-structure-in-july-2025-ahead-of-target-may-2026-launch-date%2F&amp;sessionId=1865e76c7fca6c01a3643746d5d2a406371d87ed&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1915844545268617452\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"560\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782462177925909357=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Haven-1\u2019s domed window will enable the crew to observe and photograph the Earth and space. This test fixture is critical to confirming the window\u2019s strength and ensuring crew safety in space. Each test kick simulates hundreds of pounds of force, mimicking accidental bumps from\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/DpLV17EwhT<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Vast (@vast) April 25, 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Crew members will also be able to look down on the planet Earth through the 1.1 m (3.6 ft) domed window. Vast recently published a video of the window undergoing strength testing. Each so-called \u201ckick test\u201d simulated \u201chundreds of pounds of force, mimicking accidental bumps from astronauts inside the station.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s really important to have a window as big as we could make it,\u201d Feustel said. \u201cIt\u2019s gone through a few iterations, but we\u2019ve sort of landed on this design and this size and we think it\u2019s really effective for doing just that: having those views of Earth that are really important and being able to take a few photos as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>Bringing along partners<\/h4>\n<p>Vast is jockeying to become the successor to the International Space Station along with other competitors. To that end, it hopes to cement its place in the history of low Earth orbit by becoming the first, commercial space station with the launch of Haven-1.<\/p>\n<p>If all goes well, Vast aims to not only have its first station in orbit by next May, but also to welcome a four-person crew no earlier than late June 2026. Part of making that a reality is a partnership between the company and SpaceX.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_69521\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69521\" style=\"width: 876px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69521\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven1_Docking_A.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"876\" height=\"567\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven1_Docking_A.jpg 876w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven1_Docking_A-300x194.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven1_Docking_A-678x439.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven1_Docking_A-768x497.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 876px) 100vw, 876px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-69521\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An artist\u2019s rendering of a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docking with Vast\u2019s Haven-1 space station. Illustration: Vast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The connection between the two companies has been long established. SpaceX alumni make up seven members of Vast\u2019s leadership team and nine members of its engineering leadership. Four out of seven members of Vast\u2019s group of advisors also have past experience at SpaceX.<\/p>\n<p>Haot said when Vast began pursuing the Haven-1 program in 2023, creating a formal relationship with SpaceX was high on their to-do list.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe first thing we did is we went to SpaceX. We don\u2019t believe that you should design a space station without the visiting vehicle, in this case Dragon, working with us very collaboratively,\u201d Haot said. \u201cIt\u2019s actually an integrated system, from a thermal point of view, from a life support point of view, they have to dock together, we have to keep the attitude. There\u2019s a lot of engineering detail and complexity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t want to design your space station and then six months before you launch it, call the Dragon team to make sure they\u2019re ok.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Part of that synergy was having SpaceX sell its docking adapter to Vast and to also conduct their own testing on Dragon at SpaceX\u2019s facilities, also in Hawthorne, California. Haot said soon SpaceX will send Vast the flight-ready, passive docking adaptor, which will be integrated onto the flight article Haven-1.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are the experts, right? They are doing it (docking) to the ISS. They know, obviously, the standard. They have built the technology to do it. It\u2019s called \u2018Dragon Eye,\u2019\u201d Haot said. \u201cAnd they basically looked at Haven-1 and they said, \u2018Hey, can you keep the attitude, you know, the pointing to this tolerance?\u2019 We said, \u2018We can.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To support the docking process, SpaceX will add reflectors to Haven-1 in addition to the docking adapter.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond its work with SpaceX, Vast is also aligning itself with several entities that have experience with the International Space Station. It first announced partnerships with Florida\u2014based Redwire Space and European company, Yuri, back in August 2024.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_69520\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69520\" style=\"width: 876px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69520\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_science_partners.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"876\" height=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_science_partners.jpg 876w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_science_partners-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_science_partners-678x452.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Haven-1_science_partners-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 876px) 100vw, 876px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-69520\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vast CEO Max Haot, Vast Lead Astronaut Andrew Feustel, Exobiosphere CEO Kyle Acierno, Interstellar Lab CEO Barbara Belvisi, and JAMSS President Teru Aruga (from left to right), standing inside the Haven-1 Experience. Image: Vast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Redwire is contributing its Advanced Space Equipment Processor 4 (ADSETP4), which can host up to four pharmaceutical processing cassettes called Pharmaceutical In-space Laboratory \u2013 Bio-crystal Optimization Xperiments (PIL-BOXs). Meanwhile, Yuri is adding its ScienceTaxi incubator with a centrifuge, which allows for adjustments under different gravity conditions for up to 38 experiment units called \u201cScienceShells.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During the 40th Space Symposium in early April, Vast announced three more customers, JAMSS, Interstellar Lab and Exobiosphere, which will occupy three more of the 10 total mid-deck lockers, leaving five more remaining that don\u2019t have announced occupants.<\/p>\n<p>Haot said they sought customers who are involved with \u201cimportant research and science\u201d that they believe will be \u201cgood for Vast and good for the customers that will be flying on Vast.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s also the credibility of the company. Our strategy is to work with as many people that have existing heritage on the ISS,\u201d Haot said. \u201cAnd then, it\u2019s a negotiation and agreeing to the pricing and so on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Vast has also agreements for the next stage in the Haven program, Haven-2. It signed an agreement with The Exploration Company to use its reusable Nyx space capsule for cargo missions and a memorandum of understanding with the European Space Agency (ESA) to explore future crew and cargo operations onboard the Haven-2.<\/p>\n<h4>Haven-2 in work<\/h4>\n<p>The effort being put into Haven-1, and the uncrewed Haven Demo satellite before it, are designed to pave the way for the Haven-2 space station. The modules of that future station will be nearly five-meters longer than that of Haven-1 and feature two windows and two docking ports.<\/p>\n<p>While the Haven-1 is able to be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the Haven-2 modules will require a Falcon Heavy using an extended payload fairing. The Haven-2 will also be capable of receiving cargo missions and the ability to host 720 days worth of on-board crew consumables, compared to 160 days with Haven-1.<\/p>\n<p>The plan is to launch the first of the Haven-2 modules in 2028 and continue launching the next three modules at a rate of about one every six months. Following the launch of the Haven Core module in 2030, the final version of the Haven-2 space station would be deployed on orbit by 2032.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_69522\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69522\" style=\"width: 876px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69522\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Vast_Haven-2_Full_Configuration_V2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"876\" height=\"493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Vast_Haven-2_Full_Configuration_V2.jpg 876w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Vast_Haven-2_Full_Configuration_V2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Vast_Haven-2_Full_Configuration_V2-678x381.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/20250502_Vast_Haven-2_Full_Configuration_V2-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 876px) 100vw, 876px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-69522\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An artist\u2019s rendering of Vast\u2019s Haven-2 space station in its full configuration. Illustration: Vast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>That 2032 version of Haven-2 would have a crew volume of 510 cubic meters. On its website, Vast shows opens for several roles connected to Haven-2, including one labeled \u201cMission Manager, Crew.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That person would be designated to \u201cManage entire crew mission including onboarding, training, launch, on-orbit experience to low earth orbital destinations, being personally responsible for end-to-end mission success (contract award through return and rehabilitation).\u201d That individual would also need to \u201cAct as the technical subject matter expert for crewmember accommodations throughout a mission to Haven-1.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>NASA expects to issue a Draft Request for Proposal (RFP) by the end of the third quarter of fiscal year 2025 (Q3 FY25) and a final RFP by the end of Q4 FY25.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A model of the final version of Vast\u2019s Haven-1 space station is shown with a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked. The model was on display at the 40th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado in April 2025. Image: Will Robinson-Smith\/Spaceflight Now Space habitation company, Vast, is now one year away from being able to stake its [&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":[1118,235,578,1119,190,316,240],"class_list":["post-9856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-commercial-leo-development-program","tag-crew-dragon","tag-haven-1","tag-haven-2","tag-nasa","tag-spacex","tag-vast"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9856"}],"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=9856"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9856\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}