In an exciting announcement from New York, Vast Space—a pioneering aerospace startup founded by ex-crypto mogul Jed McCaleb—has unveiled ambitious plans to create a new space station that will succeed the International Space Station (ISS). This move puts Vast in direct competition with other leading players in the commercial space race, including Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.

The proposed facility, named Haven-2, is designed as a specialized laboratory in low Earth orbit, which will allow researchers and visitors to conduct vital microgravity experiments. This innovative station is also aimed to serve as a destination for NASA’s international partners, providing a platform for sending astronauts to experience space.

The design structure of Haven-2 will consist of four cylindrical modules that will dock together to form a cohesive station. Vast aims to have the first module operational by 2028, significantly ahead of the ISS's planned retirement in 2031. Max Haot, the CEO of Vast, stated, “We picked this ambitious timeline and strategy as a way to disrupt and win the competition,” highlighting the startup's eagerness to take the lead in this burgeoning sector.

NASA plans to phase out the ISS but is calling on commercial entities to develop the next generation of private space stations to ensure continued access to low Earth orbit. Several companies, including Axiom Space, Blue Origin, and Starlab Space, have already secured contracts and substantial funding from NASA to begin constructing these new facilities.

Vast is eagerly anticipating NASA's selection process for space station successor contracts, which will take place in 2026. This competition could potentially grant up to $2 billion in funding for two winning proposals, an opportunity Vast aims to leverage.

The design of Haven-2 is an extension of the Haven-1 space station, for which plans were announced earlier in 2023. Vast has already established a contract with SpaceX to launch Haven-1 as early as 2025 on a Falcon 9 rocket. Following that, a crew is planned to be sent to Haven-1 using a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

Once the initial Haven-2 module is in orbit in 2028, Vast intends to launch the remaining three modules in 2029 and 2030, along with a larger core module, which will serve as the central connection hub for all four modules. The modules will be launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rockets, while the core hub will utilize SpaceX's future Starship rocket designs.

While Haot refrained from disclosing the exact cost of the Haven-2 project, he indicated that by the time crews are launched to Haven-1, Vast expects to have invested upwards of $1 billion. Additionally, the startup plans to initiate a fundraising round between late 2024 and late 2025, seeking financial support from external investors alongside McCaleb, who is its primary financier.

This pioneering project could revolutionize our access to space, making it a pivotal chapter in the evolution of commercial space exploration! Stay tuned as Vast Space inches closer to achieving its lofty goals!