Vast Space: Building the First Private Space Station

Vast Space is making big moves in the space industry. They are building the first commercial space station, called Haven-1. This station is set to launch in early 2027, which is a bit later than they originally planned. The company's CEO, Max Haot, explained that they are taking their time to make sure everything is safe and ready. Haven-1 is a small space station. It will be used for short trips, not long stays. After it launches, Vast Space will test it for a few weeks before sending a crew. The crew will be trained by SpaceX, who will also take them to the station. Vast Space is still talking to people and countries about who will be on the crew.The plan is to have short missions, about two weeks long. They might also try a longer mission, up to 30 days. After Haven-1, Vast Space is already thinking about Haven-2. This station will be bigger and have more features. Vast Space is one of four companies competing to build space stations for NASA. They want to be ready by the end of 2030, when the International Space Station (ISS) will be retired. They think NASA should pick two winners, not just one. This way, if something goes wrong, there will still be a station in space. Vast Space also wants to do more than just send people to space. They want to start businesses in space, like making semiconductors and medicines. They think this will help them make money and grow.