Vast has delayed the launch of its first commercial space station, Haven-1, until at least the first quarter of 2027, pushing back an earlier target of 2026, the company said on Tuesday.
The single-module station is designed to host up to four commercial astronauts for missions lasting as long as two weeks. Astronaut transport and key station functions, including life support and power, will rely on SpaceX’s Dragon capsule. Vast said the timing of the first crewed mission will depend on SpaceX’s confidence in the station’s safety following launch.
“We have to basically convince SpaceX, both contractually and with many verification events, that it will be safe to dock Dragon,” said Max Haot, in comments to Ars Technica. Haot said a crewed mission could occur as soon as weeks after launch, or as late as three years afterward, depending on verification outcomes.
Vast said it has begun the first phase of Haven-1’s integration, including installation of thermal control and life-support systems. Subsequent phases will add avionics, navigation hardware, crew habitation features and protection against micrometeorites. The company said it remains on track to complete all three integration phases and conduct environmental testing within this year.
Despite the delay, Vast could still become the first company to place a commercial space station into low Earth orbit, although Haven-1 would be smaller than rival initial offerings. Axiom Space plans to launch a multi-module station in 2028, while Starlab is targeting 2029.
Vast’s longer-term plans include a larger, multi-module station known as Haven-2, intended to support a continuous human presence in low Earth orbit and help fill the gap left by the planned retirement of the International Space Station.
