Vast and SpaceX plan to launch the first commercial space station in 2025

Another company is racing to launch the first commercial space station. Vast partnered with SpaceX to launch Its Haven-1 station in August 2025. A Falcon 9 rocket will carry the platform into low Earth orbit, with a follow-up mission to Vast-1 using Crew Dragon to bring four people to Haven-1 for up to 30 days. Vast makes reservations for crew to participate in scientific or charitable causes. The company has the option for SpaceX’s second manned mission.

Haven-1 is relatively young. It’s not much bigger than a SpaceX capsule, and it’s mainly for small-scale orbital science and manufacturing for the four people docking. Fast hopes to make Haven-1 just one unit in a larger station, and it can simulate the Moon’s gravity by spinning.

like Techcrunch notesHowever, the 2025 goal is ambitious and could see a major win over established competitors to deploy a private space station. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin doesn’t expect to release Orbital Reef until the second half of the decade. Voyager, Lockheed Martin, and Nanoracks don’t expect their Starlab facility to be operational before 2027. Axiom has the best chance of launching Vast with a launch plan scheduled for late 2025.

There’s no guarantee that any of these timelines will hold up given the challenges and costs of building an orbital habitat—this would have to be a safe vehicle that comfortably supports humans for extended periods, not just the duration of a rocket launch. However, this indicates that stations represent the next major stage of private spaceflight after tourist and lunar flights.