Vast Space is a private American aerospace company established in 2021, with headquarters in Long Beach, California. It focuses on developing artificial gravity space stations, with the goal of enabling long-term human habitation in space. Vast is currently developing Haven-1, a commercial space station scheduled to launch in 2025 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, and Haven-2, a proposed successor to the International Space Station (ISS). Key partners include SpaceX, and they are targeting customers such as NASA, commercial researchers, and private astronauts.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
NASA selected Vast from proposals submitted in response to NASA’s March 2025 research announcement.
Once Vast’s crew members are approved and confirmed, they will train with NASA, international partners, and SpaceX for the flight.
NASA and Vast signed an order for the sixth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station with a launch planned no earlier than summer 2027 from Florida.
Vast will purchase mission services from NASA including crew consumables, cargo delivery, storage, and other on-orbit resources.
Under the agreement, Vast will purchase various mission services from NASA while NASA will purchase research sample return capability from Vast’s mission services.
Vast, a U.S. space company, secured the contract from NASA for the sixth Private Astronaut Mission to the International Space Station.
Axiom Space conducted the previous five private astronaut missions to the ISS prior to Vast’s award.
The contract for the sixth Private Astronaut Mission is Vast’s first contract to send a private crewed mission to the International Space Station.
Vast winning the sixth Private Astronaut Mission contract represents a change to Axiom Space’s long-standing lead in ISS private missions.
Vast is headquartered in California and is led by CEO Max Haot.
On February 12, 2026, NASA signed an agreement with Vast for Vast to conduct a private astronaut mission to the International Space Station.
Vast intends to use the Private Astronaut Mission contract for technology demonstration and to gain operational experience toward realizing its own space station and establishing future low Earth orbit operations.
Naoko Yamazaki, a former JAXA astronaut, is the general manager of Vast Japan.
The targeted timeframe for Vast’s ISS private astronaut mission is summer 2027 or later, with a crew planned to stay on the ISS for up to 14 days.
Vast is developing next-generation commercial space stations intended to succeed the ISS.
Vast is the first company other than Axiom Space to be selected by NASA to conduct a private astronaut mission to the ISS, following five prior selections of Axiom Space.
Vast won a NASA contract to conduct the agency’s sixth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station in summer 2027.
Vast has contracted SpaceX to provide launch services for its private astronaut mission to the ISS.
Vast will send private astronauts to the ISS for an expected two-week mission under its NASA contract.
Vast will send private astronauts to the International Space Station in summer 2027 under a contract with NASA.