The race to replace the aging International Space Station (ISS) is intensifying after US company Vast announced a mission to send an astronaut to its planned Haven-1 station next year. If launched as scheduled in early 2027, Haven-1 will become history's first commercial space station, surpassing several competitors. This milestone would herald a post-ISS era for humanity's presence in space, as Western nations seek independence from Russian space operations due to the war in Ukraine. The ISS, after 25 years of continuous habitation, is set to be deorbited in 2030.
Vast's Historic Announcement
On Tuesday, Vast became the first aerospace company to announce a crewed mission to its future station. CEO Max Haot stated, "This is an important milestone in a new era in crewed spaceflight that is less expensive — and less reliant on Russia." French astronaut Arnaud Prost will join the crew of the inaugural mission, tasked with conducting tests ahead of scientific experiments similar to those on the ISS. The privately funded Haven-1 will consist of a single module, compared to the ISS's 16 modules, and will host four two-week missions during its three-year orbit.
Future Plans and Cost Efficiency
Vast has larger ambitions with Haven-2, a nine-module station to be deployed gradually. Haot emphasized that module costs will be "five to 10 times lower" than those for the ISS, which often exceeded a billion dollars. This cost reduction aims to increase crewed flights and offer more attractive prices. Vast hopes to launch three modules per year for its future station, with at least one launched by a European rocket. The company targets having four modules in space by 2030, supporting six-month missions.
Competition and Collaboration
Other US aerospace companies, including Axiom Space and Blue Origin, also plan commercial space stations. Vast, founded in 2021 by cryptocurrency billionaire Jed McCaleb, acknowledges entering the race late but claims to be two years ahead of rivals, citing NASA contracts. Additionally, Vast announced a mission to send French astronaut Thomas Pesquet to the ISS next year and plans to open its European headquarters in Paris. For both missions, Vast will use SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets and Dragon 2 capsule. Haot praised SpaceX's unique approach emphasizing speed and rocket reusability, stating, "If SpaceX had not succeeded in creating Dragon, Vast would not exist. And the US and Europe would still be dependent on Russia to send humans into space." Despite geopolitical tensions, the US and other ISS partners continue working with Russia on the space station.
