Vast Space - Building the First Commercial Space Station

Vast Space: Pioneering the Next Era of Commercial Space Stations

Vast is one of the most ambitious companies in the commercial space industry today. Founded in 2021 by entrepreneur Jed McCaleb, the Long Beach, California-based company is building Haven-1, which is set to become the world's first privately developed and operated space station. With a target launch date of May 2026, Vast is positioning itself at the forefront of the post-International Space Station era.

The company has grown rapidly since its founding, expanding from a small team to more than 900 employees. Vast operates out of a newly built 115,000 square-foot facility in Long Beach that houses both its corporate headquarters and manufacturing operations. In 2023, the company acquired rocket startup Launcher, bringing additional engineering talent and propulsion expertise in-house.

Haven-1: The First Private Space Station

Haven-1 is Vast's flagship project and the cornerstone of its near-term strategy. The station is designed to host up to four short-duration astronaut missions during its three-year operational lifespan, with crews of four people spending approximately 10 days at a time aboard the station. Haven-1 will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, and crew missions will use SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

Development Milestones

Vast has hit several critical milestones on the path to launching Haven-1:

• Primary structure completion: The final weld on Haven-1's primary structure was completed in mid-2025, followed by painting and outfitting
• Haven Demo success: In November 2025, the Haven Demo spacecraft achieved mission success after deploying from SpaceX's Bandwagon-4 rideshare mission, capturing 4K video of its solar array deployment and reaching power-positive status
• ISS contract win: In February 2026, Vast won the sixth commercial contract to send astronauts to the International Space Station, further validating its human spaceflight capabilities

Haven Demo served as a critical testbed for technologies that will be used on Haven-1, allowing the team to validate key systems in orbit before committing to the full station launch.

Haven-2: Succeeding the ISS

Beyond Haven-1, Vast has announced plans for Haven-2, a larger, more capable space station designed to serve as a successor to the aging International Space Station. If selected by NASA in 2026, Vast plans to have the first module of Haven-2 fully operational in orbit by 2028, with the complete station assembled by 2032.

Haven-2 represents an evolved, NASA-certified version of Haven-1, incorporating lessons learned from the first station's design and operations. The station would support longer-duration missions and a broader range of research and commercial activities.

Leadership and Team

Vast's leadership has evolved since its founding. Jed McCaleb, who previously co-founded cryptocurrency platforms Ripple and Stellar, established the company with a vision to make living and working in space a reality. Max Haot, formerly of Launcher (which Vast acquired), now serves as CEO, while Alex Hudson serves as the company's first Chief Technology Officer.

Under Haot's leadership, the team has grown to over 900 members, bringing together expertise in aerospace engineering, spacecraft manufacturing, and mission operations.

Funding and Investors

Vast has attracted significant investment interest as it progresses toward its 2026 launch target. The company has raised over $150 million in funding and has reportedly sought additional capital at a valuation of up to $20 billion. Notable investors include In-Q-Tel, the venture capital arm of the U.S. intelligence community, which invested in the company and holds an observer seat on Vast's board. Ripple Impact Investments has also backed the company.

The Commercial Space Station Market

Vast is competing in a growing market for commercial space stations. As the ISS approaches its planned retirement in the late 2020s, NASA and international partners are looking to commercial providers to ensure continued human presence in low Earth orbit. Vast's aggressive timeline, aiming to have Haven-1 operational before the ISS retires, gives it a potential first-mover advantage.

The company's strategy centers on speed and iteration. By launching a smaller, simpler station first with Haven-1, Vast can demonstrate its capabilities, generate revenue, and gather operational data before scaling up to the more ambitious Haven-2 platform.

Looking Ahead

Vast's roadmap extends well beyond its initial space station offerings. The company envisions a future where commercial space stations serve as hubs for research, manufacturing, tourism, and eventually long-duration habitation. With Haven-1's launch approaching and Haven-2 on the drawing board, Vast is working to turn that vision into reality, one station at a time.