As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Vast is making significant progress toward establishing itself as a commercial space station provider with its Haven-1 project. The company is actively working to bring an operational private space station into orbit, positioning itself ahead of other commercial efforts in the sector. The recent successful qualification testing of Haven-1’s primary structure represents an essential step toward its deployment, setting Vast apart from other competitors working toward similar goals.
With a focus on rapid iteration, real-world manufacturing experience, and a commitment to ensuring continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit (LEO), Haven-1 is being developed with an ambitious timeline. The progress made so far demonstrates a structured approach to space station development, emphasizing the importance of hands-on engineering, rigorous testing, and maintaining a tight schedule.
The Vision Behind Haven-1
Vast launched the Haven-1 project with three key objectives:
- Competing for NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destination (CLD) Phase II contract
- Building an experienced team with the capability to design and manufacture crewed space systems
- Ensuring a continuous U.S. and international presence in LEO after the International Space Station (ISS) is retired
Aiming for NASA’s CLD Phase II
NASA’s CLD program is designed to transition LEO operations from the ISS to commercially operated space stations. While several companies were awarded initial funding, Vast adopted a different approach. Instead of relying solely on concept designs, the company is actively developing and testing a fully functional space station ahead of NASA’s selection process. By the time NASA chooses its partner for Phase II, Vast plans to have already demonstrated operational capabilities with Haven-1.
The experience gained from Haven-1 will be directly applied to Haven-2, Vast’s proposed successor station. Having built, tested, and operated a crewed space station, Vast intends to enter the Phase II selection process with more direct flight heritage and hands-on experience than any other contender.
Establishing Real-World Manufacturing and Testing Capabilities
Unlike other projects that focus on completing design milestones before encountering manufacturing constraints, Vast integrates real-world testing and iteration into its development process. This approach has already resulted in significant design refinements.
One example is the decision to switch from stainless steel to aluminum as the primary structural material for Haven-1. Originally planned as a stainless steel structure, the company encountered manufacturing and supply chain challenges, leading them to evaluate an alternative. Through a direct comparison between both materials, aluminum was selected due to its performance and ease of manufacturing.
A similar approach is applied across all mission-critical subsystems, including avionics, life support, power systems, control moment gyroscopes (CMGs), and propulsion. These technologies are being matured in-house and with industry partners to ensure reliability in space.
Preparing for a Post-ISS Era
With the ISS set to retire in 2030, NASA and international partners need a viable replacement to maintain human presence in LEO. Vast plans to have Haven-2 ready for operations by 2028, ensuring a seamless transition between the ISS and next-generation space stations.
By leveraging the design, facilities, and workforce developed for Haven-1, Vast believes it can deploy Haven-2 efficiently and at a reduced cost. The company emphasizes speed and cost-effectiveness as key differentiators, positioning itself as a strong candidate to fill the upcoming gap in LEO research and human habitation.
Haven-1 Primary Structure Development
One of the major milestones achieved recently was the successful qualification testing of Haven-1’s primary structure. Vast completed this key structural component in record time, marking the first U.S.-built space station primary structure in over two decades.
The manufacturing process for Haven-1 began with a Pathfinder article produced between November 2023 and June 2024. This prototype allowed the team to refine tooling and fabrication techniques before constructing the full-scale primary structure.
In July 2024, Vast began working on the primary structure qualification article. By January 2025, the flight-ready primary structure was in production, with completion expected by mid-2025. The ability to manufacture space station hulls in under six months demonstrates Vast’s efficiency and sets a new benchmark in the industry.
All structural elements of Haven-1 underwent extensive testing to validate their performance under simulated launch and on-orbit conditions. Key components tested included:
- The hatch
- Domed window pressure pane
- Forward bulkhead
- Launch vehicle separation system flange
- International Docking Adapter (IDA) flange
To support testing, Vast developed a custom test stand replicating Haven-1’s launch environment. This system incorporated pressurization using dry nitrogen, hydraulic actuators to simulate launch forces, and multiple strain gauge channels to monitor structural integrity.
Qualification Testing Results
On January 15, 2025, the primary structure qualification article was shipped to Vast’s Mojave, California, test facility for evaluation. The test campaign began on January 31, marking the company’s first full-scale vehicle test program.
Testing included:
- A decay leak check at 0.2 barD, which passed successfully
- A proof test pressurization to 1.8 barD (26 psig), during which:
- No structural changes or leaks were detected
- Pressure was held steady for five hours
- Leak rates remained within acceptable limits
- Strain gauges remained within allowable thresholds
Following the proof test, the structure was maintained at 3 psi (0.2 bar) for 48 hours to further evaluate leak rates. The results exceeded NASA’s leak rate requirements, demonstrating the integrity of the structure.
The test campaign followed NASA Standard 5001, ensuring compliance with stringent safety and performance criteria.
Next Steps
With the successful completion of Haven-1’s primary structure qualification testing, Vast now moves into the next phase of the project. The remaining test campaign will involve:
- Applying simulated launch and orbital forces using hydraulic actuators
- Conducting structural load tests under pressurized conditions
- Simulating flight environments to assess long-term durability
In parallel, the Haven-1 flight primary structure is being finalized. Once completed in July 2025, the station will move into full integration and subsystem testing.
Updated Haven-1 Timeline
Vast has refined its launch schedule based on progress made to date. The updated milestones include:
- July 2025 – Completion of flight primary structure manufacturing and testing
- July – December 2025 – Integration of vehicle systems and subsystem testing
- January – March 2026 – Environmental testing, including acoustic and vibration assessments
- April – May 2026 – Launch campaign preparations
- May 2026 – Haven-1 launch
- May – June 2026 – Uncrewed orbital commissioning
- June 2026 – First crewed mission, with four astronauts aboard a SpaceX Dragon for a two-week stay
Summary
Vast is on track to become the first company to launch and operate a commercial space station. With the successful completion of Haven-1’s primary structure qualification testing, the company has demonstrated its ability to rapidly design, manufacture, and test space station components.
By maintaining an aggressive development timeline and focusing on real-world manufacturing challenges, Vast is positioning itself as a leader in commercial space station development. If all goes as planned, Haven-1 will be operational by mid-2026, marking a new era for private spaceflight and research in low-Earth orbit.
10 Best Selling Books About Space Stations
Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery by Scott Kelly
This astronaut memoir centers on long-duration living aboard the International Space Station, describing how a year in low Earth orbit reshapes routine life, physical endurance, and teamwork under constant operational constraints. It also frames space station habitation as an organized system of schedules, maintenance, and risk management rather than a single dramatic event.
An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield
This book uses the author’s path to becoming an International Space Station commander to explain how training, procedure, and contingency planning shape daily decision-making in orbit. It presents space station operations as a practical environment where communication, preparation, and attention to detail determine whether small issues stay small.
Diary of an Apprentice Astronaut by Samantha Cristoforetti
This account follows an astronaut’s progression from training into space station life, emphasizing how technical preparation translates into real work inside the International Space Station. It focuses on the lived reality of research tasks, tight living quarters, and the mental discipline needed to function effectively through repeating cycles of day, night, and mission timelines.
Homesteading Space: The Skylab Story by David Hitt, Owen Garriott, and Joe Kerwin
This history explains how Skylab moved from concept to a working American space station, including the practical realities of living and working in an early orbital outpost. It describes the station as both a technical platform and a human habitat, where engineering constraints and crew adaptation shaped what was possible on each mission.
Skylab: America’s Space Station by David Shayler
This book presents Skylab as a full program story rather than a single mission recap, covering planning choices, hardware realities, and the operational learning that came from sustaining people in orbit. It treats the space station as a test bed for long-duration human spaceflight, with attention to both engineering systems and mission execution.
The International Space Station: Operating an Outpost in the New Frontier by NASA
This operational history explains the ISS from the standpoint of how it is run, emphasizing mission control processes, integration planning, and the continuous work needed to keep a complex station functioning. It presents the ISS as an industrial-scale research facility in orbit, where success depends on disciplined operations, logistics coordination, and structured problem-solving.
International Space Station: Architecture Beyond Earth by David Nixon
This book approaches the International Space Station through design and assembly, explaining how the station’s structure emerged from constraints such as launch packaging, on-orbit construction, and multi-partner integration. It treats the ISS as built architecture in microgravity, where form, function, and maintenance accessibility all influence how people work and live inside the station.
Mir Hardware Heritage by David S. F. Portree
This program history documents how Soviet and Russian space station design evolved into Mir, linking engineering lineage, operational priorities, and long-duration habitation requirements. It positions Mir as an important bridge between early space stations and modern orbital outposts, highlighting how modularity and sustained utilization shaped station capability over time.
Letters from Space by Clayton Anderson
This book presents space station life through personal communication written during an ISS mission, emphasizing ordinary workdays, crew interactions, and the constant link between orbit and Earth. It shows how a space station functions as a workplace with routine responsibilities, where experiments, maintenance, and schedules shape the lived experience more than singular headline moments.
The Ordinary Spaceman: From Boyhood Dreams to Astronaut by Clayton C. Anderson
This memoir traces a long path to flying in space and then living aboard the International Space Station, describing how persistence, training cycles, and operational discipline translate into on-orbit performance. It frames the ISS as a demanding environment where preparation meets real constraints, and where the crew’s effectiveness depends on reliability, teamwork, and task execution.
