Vast at the 40th Annual Space Symposium
Vast debuts the immersive Haven-1 Experience, announces new Haven-1 Lab partners, and more
Last week, members of the Vast team attended the 40th Annual Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, CO, hosted by the Space Foundation. We kicked off the event with the unveiling of the first-ever immersive experience of Haven-1, the world’s first commercial space station. Throughout the week, we announced new Haven-1 Lab payload partners and an agreement with CASIS for access to the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory, conducted over 70 meetings with potential partners, current partners, and leadership of space agencies across the globe, hosted a reunion for veteran astronauts, and Vast CEO Max Haot took the stage, sharing our latest progress as we prepare to launch Haven-1, currently targeted for May 2026.
Debuting the Haven-1 Experience
The Haven-1 Experience gave attendees a hands-on opportunity to witness the state-of-the-art design and advanced functionality that will be aboard the space station. The immersive experience featured the hatch, crew interface displays, crew storage, and crew quarters, which include the revolutionary zero-gravity sleep system. It also showcased the Haven-1 Lab, with installed payloads from current payload partners, and the 1.1 m domed window that offers an expansive, 180-degree view of Earth from the space station.
Thousands of Symposium attendees visited the Haven-1 Experience throughout the week, including leadership of space agencies across the globe. On Thursday, the conference was opened up to members of the public who were treated to this first-of-its-kind preview of life aboard our Haven-1.
New payload partnerships
On Tuesday, April 8, we officially welcomed our newest partners to the Haven-1 Lab: Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation (JAMSS), Interstellar Lab, and Exobiosphere. Our new partners join inaugural lab partners Redwire and Yuri and will leverage the microgravity environment of the Haven-1 Lab to conduct research in advanced materials, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical development.
Read the press release: Vast Announces Three Additional Payload Partners for the Haven-1 Lab: JAMSS, Interstellar Lab, and Exobiosphere.
Agreement with the ISS National Lab
On Thursday, April 10, we further solidified our commitment to advancing space-based research by announcing a new agreement with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space® (CASIS). This agreement with CASIS, manager of the ISS National Lab, allows us to act as a key collaborator to support research aboard the ISS and strengthen our private astronaut mission (PAM) readiness.
Read the press release: Vast Signs Agreement to Leverage International Space Station (ISS) National Lab
Vast's Astronaut Breakfast
Our astronaut reunion breakfast brought together both national and international human spaceflight veterans, including our very own Lead Astronaut Andrew Feustel, all of whom have paved the way for space exploration, discovery, and research.
Vast’s CEO takes the stage
Vast CEO Max Haot took the stage at Space Symposium, sharing updates on the progress Vast has made designing, building, and launching Haven-1. As part of the presentation, he shared our latest partnerships and highlighted the primary structure qualification article, which is undergoing an extensive test campaign at our test facility in Mojave, CA. Vast is moving toward completing the flight-ready primary structure for the Haven-1 in Long Beach, CA in July of this year.
In the news
Read more in AviationWeek, Flying Magazine, SpaceNews, and Payload.
Our return to the Space Symposium marks another meaningful milestone in our journey to establish Vast as a leader in space station development. As we move closer to completing Haven-1, we remain focused on our mission to build and launch the world’s first commercial space station.