Vast and SpaceX Jointly Announced a Request for Research Proposals

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On January 28, 2025, Vast and SpaceX jointly announced a request for research proposals from the global space science community, aiming to advance long-term human habitation and exploration in space. This initiative seeks high-impact research projects that support life on Earth and enhance humanity’s capacity to live and work in Earth orbit and beyond. Proposals will be evaluated based on scientific and technical merit, feasibility, and alignment with mission objectives. Approved projects will have the opportunity to utilize the capabilities of the Haven-1 Lab, SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, and private astronaut missions to the International Space Station (ISS).

Haven-1 is poised to become the world’s first commercial space station and a crewed microgravity research, development, and manufacturing platform. This groundbreaking facility is designed to enable cutting-edge research and technological advancements, opening new frontiers in space science. Vast’s CEO, Max Haot, emphasized the platform’s potential, stating, “The Haven-1 Lab provides a revolutionary platform for advancing collaborative efforts in science, research, and in-space manufacturing innovation. By partnering with the scientific community, we aim to build on the invaluable legacy research on the ISS, enabling pioneering research to address real-world solutions and pursuing transformative research opportunities to address and eventually overcome some of the most important health and scientific challenges of space exploration—challenges that also hold the potential to improve life on Earth.”

While no direct funding will be provided to the research projects, Vast and SpaceX will offer selected researchers access to a hosted orbital laboratory, on-orbit crew time, and support for project design and flight qualification at no cost. This initiative reflects both companies’ dedication to fostering collaboration with the global scientific community and international partners. By providing access to microgravity environments, Vast aims to gain valuable experience working with partners in an operational orbital station, insights that will be incorporated into the design and architecture of Haven-2, the proposed successor to the ISS.

Vast, founded in 2021 by Jed McCaleb, is developing next-generation space stations to pioneer long-term living and thriving in space. Haven-1, scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station, is expected to launch in 2025. The company is also developing Haven-2, designed to serve NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destinations (CLD) program as a microgravity laboratory in space. Vast’s long-term ambition is to create artificial gravity habitations that enable humans to live in space, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring a spacefaring future for all.

For additional information and details on how to submit a proposal, interested parties are encouraged to visit SpaceX’s research submission page.

Last update on 2025-12-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API