Vast Space’s Haven-1 Commercial Station Nears 2027 Launch as New Satellite Bus Line Emerges
Featured image: [Rendering of Vast’s Haven-1 module with Crew Dragon docked; credit: Vast Space]
Vast Space continues to advance its Haven-1 commercial space station toward a planned Q1 2027 launch, with the company announcing several key hardware milestones and revealing an ambitious new satellite bus product line that has already secured its first customer.
Haven-1 is designed as a single-module station launching atop a SpaceX Falcon 9. With a mass of 14,000 kg and 85 m³ of pressurized volume (45 m³ habitable), it will accommodate four astronauts for missions lasting up to two weeks. Key features include a 1.1-meter domed window for Earth observation, Starlink connectivity for high-bandwidth communications, and a dedicated “Haven Lab” for microgravity research.
Hardware progress. In June 2026, thermal control system trays were installed on the flight article. These modular structural panels integrate valves, sensors, and temperature regulation hardware essential for maintaining habitable conditions in orbit. Vast has also completed vacuum chamber testing of an in-house 10-kW Hall thruster with a specific impulse exceeding 3,000 seconds, building on technology derived from NASA JPL’s H10 thruster. The Hall thruster is part of a broader reaction control system that includes Impulse Space’s Saiph chemical thruster and six internal control moment gyroscopes for precision attitude control.
Haven-1 will rely on a docked Crew Dragon for supplemental life support functions, including carbon dioxide scrubbing, during crewed visits.
Proven pathfinder. The company launched its Haven Demo testbed in November 2025 on SpaceX’s Bandwagon-4 rideshare mission. The 500 kg satellite verified non-human systems including solar panel deployment, guidance and navigation, and communications before successfully deorbiting in February 2026. This early on-orbit validation informed the design of the full-scale station.
New satellite bus line. Building on Haven-1 systems and the Haven Demo experience, Vast announced a new 15 kW-class high-power satellite bus product. The first customer, undisclosed, has ordered four buses with options for up to 200 additional units, depending on performance. Vast CEO Max Haot said the company is “uniquely positioned to compete in the high-power satellite market through the combination of our world-class engineering team, large-scale manufacturing capabilities, and the on-orbit success of Haven Demo.”
Applications for the bus include Earth observation, national security missions, and orbital data centers. An optional Nvidia Space-1 Vera Rubin module provides AI edge computing for autonomous space operations. First launches are expected in 2027.
Crew assignments. French ESA reserve astronaut Arnaud Prost has been named flight engineer for the first crewed mission to Haven-1, designated Vast-1. The UK Space Agency has signed a memorandum of understanding to explore sending ESA astronaut John McFall to the station, which would make the former Paralympian the first person with a physical disability to live in orbit.
Separately, Vast has brokered a private astronaut mission to the International Space Station scheduled for 2027, carrying Czech Republic astronaut Aleš Svoboda , the first Czech in space, alongside French astronaut Thomas Pesquet as commander.
Competitive positioning. Vast is competing with Axiom Space and Blue Origin for NASA’s Commercial LEO Destinations program as the agency works toward a post-ISS future. NASA has reaffirmed its commitment to the commercial LEO transition despite recent industry uncertainty. Vast’s strategy centers on launching the smaller, simpler Haven-1 first to demonstrate capabilities and win follow-on funding for larger stations, including a long-term goal of building the first commercial station with artificial gravity.
Source: 1ban.news , Space Desk