Artificial gravity space station startup Vast has announced, through its launch partner SpaceX, that it plans to put the first commercial space station into orbit in August 2025. Shortly after the station is put into orbit, SpaceX’s Dragon crew capsule will also carry humans to the space station.Commercial space stations take place
Vast, which first set out last year its goal of building a 100-metre-long, modular artificial space station with spin-on artificial gravity, named its first station Haven-1. The station is initially intended to operate on its own, but will later become a larger station with other modular components launched.
The Haven-1 station is designed to be small enough to be launched with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and can accommodate four crew members simultaneously. However, in its original single-module form, the Vast station is mostly intended as a long-term accommodation point for Dragon flights. In the early stages, the station will offer a structure that can accommodate four people and live in orbit for up to 30 days.
The team in the station will carry out scientific activities and research. The station will also be connected to the world around the clock, with constant electricity and built-in Wi-Fi. It will also contain a mini bar. On the other hand, Vast and SpaceX are not alone in the idea of establishing a commercial station in orbit. Nanoracks, Lockheed Martin and Voyager Space’s special Starlab project targeting 2027 also continues to evolve. And the first launch is targeted for late 2025 by Axiom. By the end of the next decade, orbital travel is likely to become a common tourist activity.
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