A groundbreaking mission by Vast has successfully launched its privately owned space station, known as Haven Demo, into orbit. The mission commenced just after midnight on Sunday from the renowned Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This impressive feat was achieved with the help of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which took the Haven Demo spacecraft along with 17 other satellites on its Bandwagon 4 mission, including a South Korean spy satellite and a small testbed for Starcloud, a startup collaborating with Nvidia to develop an orbital data center.
Upon separating from the Falcon 9, the half-ton Haven Demo spacecraft expertly stabilized itself and extended its solar array, generating power for its systems. The mission team shared stunning 4K video footage of this solar array deployment on social media, showcasing the beauty and complexity of the operation. CEO Max Haot expressed his enthusiasm on X, stating, “What a launch night and team at Vast! And thanks for the ride, SpaceX. Haven Demo’s mission success has turned us into a proven spacecraft company. The next step will be to become an actual commercial space station company next year. Something no one has achieved yet.”
Vast, which is financially backed by crypto billionaire Jed McCaleb, is one of many contenders vying for a NASA contract to establish a commercial outpost in low-Earth orbit. Distinct from its competitors, Vast is employing an iterative strategy through flight demonstrations to refine its private space station program. Following the Haven Demo, the company plans to launch Haven-1, a single-module human-rated habitat, and ultimately a more complex multi-module space station known as Haven-2.
The upcoming Haven-1 module is scheduled for launch next year aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Currently, the primary structure of Haven-1, which includes its hatch and domed window, has completed essential pressure and load acceptance testing in Mojave, California. Final inspections and integration are taking place in Vast’s clean room in Long Beach. This integration process will involve the installation of critical systems, including environmental control and life support elements, power, data, thermal control systems, thrusters, fuel tanks, and accommodations for crew members.
While the Haven-1 module is being prepared on Earth, Haven Demo will serve as a crucial validation mission for Vast’s designs in space. Operating at an altitude of 300 miles (500 kilometers), Haven Demo will assess various systems, including the computer, power, software, guidance and control, propulsion, and radio systems. This pathfinder mission also allows Vast to test its ground stations and mission control teams effectively.
Following its operations in space, the Haven-1 module will be transported from Vast’s headquarters in California to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio for a comprehensive environmental test campaign. This testing will include assessments of acoustics, vibration, and electromagnetic interference. Engineers will evaluate Haven-1’s performance in extreme temperatures and the vacuum of low-Earth orbit by placing it in a specialized test chamber.
Once testing is complete, Haven-1 will make its way to Cape Canaveral, Florida, for final launch preparations, with a target launch window no earlier than May 2026. After reaching orbit, Haven-1 will host a series of crew visits using SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, with each crew member staying for two weeks before returning to Earth. With a habitable volume of about 1,600 cubic feet (45 cubic meters), Haven-1 offers slightly less space than one of the primary modules on the International Space Station but significantly more than SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.
Looking toward the future, Vast envisions a larger multi-module space station named Haven-2, designed to accommodate larger crews and support extended missions throughout the 2030s. The successful demonstration mission of Haven Demo marks an important initial step toward realizing these ambitious goals. The satellite currently orbiting Earth boasts several systems that are architecturally similar to those planned for Haven-1, including 12 solar arrays identical to the single array on Haven Demo and a propulsion system with matching thrusters, valves, and tanks.