SpaceX Falcon 9 to Launch Vast's Private Astronaut Missions for NASA
Investing.com -- Vast, known for its space habitat technology, announced that SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket will launch up to two Dragon missions to the International Space Station (ISS) to support Vast's future proposal for NASA's Private Astronaut Missions (PAM). These missions depend on Vast being selected by NASA and would be the fifth and sixth PAMs awarded by the agency to date.
Vast is currently developing a private space station named Haven-1, which is expected to be the world's first commercial station upon its launch in 2025. In the meantime, the company plans to leverage NASA's extensive expertise by utilizing additional missions to the ISS in partnership with NASA. These missions will offer collaboration opportunities with private individuals and international space agency customers through the NASA PAM program.
Vast is also preparing to compete with the Haven-2 design in NASA's upcoming Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destination (CLD) Phase II program, which is expected to be chosen as the successor to the ISS. Max Haot, CEO of Vast, stated that enabling cargo and crewed missions to the ISS is a key component of Vast's strategy, facilitating collaborations with NASA and global space agencies.
The two missions will expand Vast's launch manifest with SpaceX. This manifest includes the Falcon 9 rocket that will transport Haven-1 to low Earth orbit and a subsequent Dragon mission that will carry crew to the commercial space station. Haven-1 will also be supported by Starlink's laser-based high-speed internet.
Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer of SpaceX, expressed excitement about working with Vast to create more opportunities and destinations for more people to travel among the stars.
With the Falcon 9 and Dragon human spaceflight system, a Vast PAM mission is preparing to fulfill several of NASA's goals. These goals include increasing the number of PAM providers, sharing the knowledge and experience gained from conducting PAM missions more broadly, and further supporting NASA's mission to enable a low Earth orbit (LEO) space economy.
NASA's PAM strategy, introduced in 2019, was designed to accelerate the development of an emerging LEO space economy and highlight the benefits of future commercial destinations. The success of these missions has led to increased demand for PAMs, and with the ISS approaching its retirement in 2030, NASA's supply of opportunities is surpassing current demand.
Vast is actively engaged in discussions regarding PAMs with multiple governments, including the Czech Republic, which signed a memorandum of understanding in November 2024. As part of the preparations for missions to Haven-1 and the NASA CLD Phase II contract competition, NASA's PAM program provides an additional opportunity for Vast to demonstrate its capability and competence to plan, manage, and safely execute a crewed mission.
Founded in 2021 by Jed McCaleb, Vast is developing the next generation of space stations for humanity, paving the way for long-term living and development in space. The company's long-term goal is to create artificial gravity habitats that enable humans to live in space and reaffirm its commitment to a future where space travel is accessible to all.
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