The International Space Station (ISS), operated by NASA, has dominated low Earth orbit for over 25 years, hosting groups of astronauts in microgravity. However, the era of the orbital laboratory in space is coming to an end soon, and NASA is looking for a replacement.
Recently, California-based company Vast Space unveiled its plans to take over the desired space left by the ISS, revealing its design for the Haven-2 space station. The company is proposing its own commercial space station for the second phase of NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit (CLD) program, with plans to launch the first unit of Haven-2 in 2028, according to Vast.
Vast is working on the Haven-1 project, scheduled for launch in 2025. The company claims that its individual unit Haven-1 will be the world’s first commercial space station, capable of hosting short-term missions for up to four astronauts in one space station at a time. However, even before launching its first space station, Vast is looking to secure a NASA contract to build another station as a commercial successor to the ISS.
Max Haut, CEO of Vast, said in a statement: “Our focus is on winning the NASA CLD contract and building a successor to the ISS.” “To achieve that, we will first demonstrate our capabilities by building and operating the world’s first commercial space station, Haven-1.”
NASA plans to retire the International Space Station by 2030 and send it through the Earth’s atmosphere where most of it will burn up upon reentry. In 2021, the space agency established its CLD program to replicate the success of the ISS, but NASA is no longer focused on building space stations. Instead, it wants to act as a customer and help its commercial partners build and operate a space station that NASA can utilize.
If NASA chooses Vast to build Haven-2 as a commercial alternative to the ISS, the company plans to launch the first unit aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in early 2028. With this timeline, there will be a two-year overlap with the ISS in orbit. After launching the first unit, Vast aims to build and launch three additional units over the following two years.
The plan is to dock the first four units successively, with Vast aiming to launch a larger core unit and four additional Haven-2 units between 2030 and 2032, forming a familiar T-shape in orbit.
Haven-2 will feature a laboratory for microgravity research and space manufacturing, as well as a dome window similar to one found on the ISS, a robotic arm, a pressure equalization chamber for payload docking, and another pressure equalization chamber for spacewalks. Vast also plans to allocate a unit for international partners.
To put the space station design into orbit, Vast will have to compete against other companies also working on replacing the ISS, including Axiom Space, Blue Origin, and Northrop Grumman. The company appears confident in its ambitious timeline to operate Haven-2 in the coming years, but NASA will have the final say.
NASA is already grappling with the aging space station currently in orbit, with a recent report shedding light on the wear and tear it has endured over the years in the harsh space environment on the International Space Station.
