Vast Space

Organization

A company designing modular space stations, purchasing carriage on SpaceX rockets.


First Mentioned

4/26/2026, 2:06:10 AM

Last Updated

4/26/2026, 2:08:02 AM

Research Retrieved

4/26/2026, 2:08:02 AM

Summary

Vast Space, also known as Vast, is a privately held American aerospace company founded in 2021 by Jed McCaleb, the entrepreneur behind Ripple. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, the company aims to develop the world's first commercial artificial gravity space stations to facilitate long-term human habitation and expand humanity beyond the solar system. With over 1,000 employees and more than $1 billion in private capital, Vast is developing the Haven series of space stations. The company successfully launched its Haven Demo pathfinder in late 2024 and plans to launch Haven-1 in 2027, followed by Haven-2 in 2028. Vast has secured a contract with NASA for the sixth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station and maintains a close working relationship with SpaceX for launch services.

Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
  • CEO

    Max Haot

  • Address

    2851 Orange Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90755

  • Founded

    2021

  • Founder

    Jed McCaleb

  • Mission

    Developing artificial gravity space stations to expand humanity beyond the solar system

  • Headquarters

    Long Beach, California, United States

  • Employee Count

    Over 1,000

  • Primary Product

    Haven Space Stations

  • Chief Policy Officer

    Caryn Schenewerk

  • Total Private Capital

    Over $1,000,000,000

Timeline
  • Vast Space is founded by Jed McCaleb. (Source: Wikipedia)

    2021-01-01

  • Vast launches the 1,100-pound Haven-Demo spacecraft to low Earth orbit to test key technologies. (Source: Web Search Results)

    2024-11-01

  • Vast announces it has raised $500 million in new funding to continue developing Haven private space stations. (Source: Web Search Results)

    2025-03-05

  • Planned launch of Haven-1, expected to be the world's first commercial space station, atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. (Source: Web Search Results)

    2027-06-01

  • Earliest planned launch for the sixth private astronaut mission to the ISS, operated by Vast for NASA. (Source: Web Search Results)

    2027-07-01

  • Planned launch of the first Haven-2 module into low Earth orbit. (Source: Web Search Results)

    2028-01-01

  • Target date to enable permanent human presence in space via Haven modules. (Source: Web Search Results)

    2030-01-01

Vast (company)

Vast (also styled Vast Space) is a privately held American aerospace company headquartered in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 2021 by entrepreneur Jed McCaleb with the goal of developing artificial gravity space stations to "expand humanity beyond the solar system".

Web Search Results
  • Vast - Building next-generation space stations

    Vast is developing next-generation space stations to ensure continuous human presence in space for America and its allies, enabling advanced microgravity research and manufacturing, and unlocking a new space economy for government, corporate, and private customers. Using an incremental, hardware-rich and low-cost approach, Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station. Haven Demo’s 2025 success made Vast the only operational commercial space station company to fly and operate its own spacecraft. Next, Haven-1 is expected to become the world’s first commercial space station when it launches in 2027, followed by additional Haven modules to enable permanent human presence by 2030. With more than 1,000 employees at its Long Beach, California headquarters and over a billion dollars [...] Vast (1d): Vast has been selected by NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration for the sixth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. Launching no earlier than summer 2027, the commercial crew will spend up to 14 days aboard the station. [Likes: 1777, Comments: 50]; Vast (3d): Caryn Schenewerk has taken on the expanded role of Chief Policy Officer at Vast. An authority in space law and policy, she will lead Vast’s engagement with the U.S. government and key stakeholders in civil and commercial space communities. [Likes: 186, Comments: 12]; Vast (4d): At Vast, we’re developing a spacecraft built to support long-term human habitation. Early and iterative human-in-the-loop evaluations create safer and more efficient living and working conditions in space, [...] Beach, California headquarters and over a billion dollars in private capital invested, Vast has built the facilities required to manufacture and operate America’s next space station. The company plans to develop future habitats for the Moon and Mars, dedicated space stations for government partners, and other crewed systems that will unlock the expanding long-term space economy.

  • Space Tech: Vast – The Next Space Station - Los Angeles Business Journal

    The commercial space race is all the rage recently. How does Vast capture the moment and how does it continue to attract public and private business partners?We are at the key moment for human space flight. Vast is a space station company, and obviously that relates to human spaceflight. We had a key, really exciting moment where we are transitioning from government-owned, cost-plus type contract for space and human space flight to really a commercial era where the government and NASA and also other agencies around the world, including in Japan, JAXA and in Europe, the European Space Agency and others are all interested in participating and supporting a migration from a government owned space station, International Space Station, to a commercially operated one, where they are supporters [...] What is Vast’s key competitive edge in this conversation?Our industry focus is crewed space stations or crewed space systems. It starts with a space station in low-earth orbit. It will be a bigger space station in a different orbit. And we also are interested to participate in habitat for the moon and for Mars. All of these are connected by a clear theme, which is crewed space habitat in space station. If you really take a step back, there’s actually never been a commercial space station built by any company. Our key goal is obviously to achieve that in the safest but also fastest way possible and become a commercial space station company. It’s a race, and no one has done it, and we believe we will be first. [...] What are some trends in the aerospace industry that Vast can take advantage of?Space infrastructure has been relatively flat for decades. Between the ’80s, ’90s and early 2000s and even late 2010 there was only about 4,000 active satellites in space for the world … in the last five years, that’s grown to 14,000. Right last week, SpaceX reached 10,000 active Starlink satellites. If you put that on a plot, it goes from a very stale industry – space infrastructure satellite that is not growing – to a complete “hockey stick.”

  • Vast – Building Next-Generation Space Stations

    “Aspiring space station operator Vast figures the best way to get a jump on its competition is to launch early and demonstrate safe, reliable operations before NASA selects one or more commercial platforms to succeed the International Space Station.” “Vast is at the forefront of a generational technological shift that’s underpinning the next push into space. They're attempting to launch a space station in a better, faster, and cheaper manner.” “Vast, which recently completed the build out of its headquarters and space station manufacturing facilities in the city, is on target to be the first commercial space station in orbit.” [...] The Californian start-up behind it [Haven Demo], Vast, wants to build the first commercial space station and aims to launch it as soon as next year. Success would signal a new era in spaceflight, one where nation states no longer collaborate to maintain a human presence above the planet. What makes Vast’s strategy particularly noteworthy for industry observers is its focus on progressive complexity. A pathfinder mission for Vast’s privately owned space station launched into orbit Sunday and promptly extended its solar panel, kicking off a shakedown cruise to prove the company’s designs can meet the demands of spaceflight. [...] “California-based Vast Space has big ambitions. The company is aiming to launch a commercial space station, the Haven-2, into low Earth orbit by 2028, which would allow astronauts to stay in space after the decommissioning of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2030.” Gwynne Shotwell President and COO of SpaceX “I am excited to work with Vast as they build more opportunities and destinations for more people to travel amongst the stars.” Eric Berger Space Journalist “An advantage Vast has over some of its competitors, I believe, is bringing manufacturing of its stations in house.” “The company has made clear its intent is to compete for the second phase of NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destinations, or CLD, program as part of the agency’s ISS transition efforts.”

  • VAST Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

    Est. 1828 Dictionary Definition adjective noun adjective 2 + adjective + noun Synonyms Synonym Chooser Example Sentences Word History Rhymes Entries Near + Cite this EntryCitation + Kids DefinitionKids + More from M-W Show more Show more + Citation + Kids + More from M-W + To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In # vast 1 of 2 ## adjective Synonyms of vast : very great in size, amount, degree, intensity, or especially in extent or range vast knowledge a vast expanse vastness noun vast 2 of 2 ## noun : a boundless space … the vast of heaven …—John Milton ## Synonyms of vast Relevance Adjective [...] crimes. —Wendi C. Thomas, ProPublica, 15 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vast [...] See All Rhymes for vast ## Browse Nearby Words vassar tan vast vastation See all Nearby Words ## Cite this Entry “Vast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Accessed 22 Apr. 2026. Copy Citation ## Kids Definition vast adjective ˈvast : very great in extent, size, amount, degree, or intensity a vast stretch of desert vast knowledge vastly adverb vastness ˈvas(t)-nəs noun ## More from Merriam-Webster on vast Nglish: Translation of vast for Spanish Speakers Last Updated: - Updated example sentences Love words? Need even more definitions? Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Merriam-Webster unabridged ## More from Merriam-Webster #### Word of the Day #### tantamount

  • Vast raises $500 million to keep developing 'Haven' private space stations | Space

    Vast has already tested some of Haven-1's key technologies on the uncrewed, 1,100-pound (500-kilogram) Haven-Demo spacecraft, which launched to low Earth orbit this past November. Vast isn't the only company working to get a private space station up and running in Earth orbit. For example, Houston-based Axiom Space plans to launch a handful of modules to the ISS beginning in 2027; these modules will then detach and become a free-flying private outpost. Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Sierra Space are developing an outpost called Orbital Reef, and a consortium that includes NanoRacks and Voyager Space are working on a different one known as Starlab. Mike Wall [...] The California startup, which is developing a line of private space stations called "Haven," announced today (March 5) that it has raised $500 million in new funding. "This investment underscores the market's strong conviction in both our strategy and our engineering," VAST CEO Max Haot said in a statement. "The low Earth orbit economy is at a pivotal inflection point, poised for rapid growth. Vast's Haven stations are engineered to deliver safe, cost-effective access to microgravity research and in-space manufacturing, empowering government and commercial partners to unlock the full commercial promise of this next era for space." [...] "It is exciting to welcome additional investors who recognize Vast's long-term potential and share our belief in making this vision a reality," he added. The International Space Station is scheduled to retire at the end of 2030. Vast plans to launch the first Haven-2 module in 2028 and add another module roughly every six months thereafter until 2032. The company, which was founded in 2021, will get some practice before then: It plans to launch the single-module Haven-1 pathfinder station next year atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. And NASA recently selected Vast to operate the sixth private astronaut flight to the ISS, which will launch no earlier than summer 2027 and employ SpaceX hardware (a Falcon 9 and a Dragon crew capsule).

Location Data

Vast space, 2851, Orange Avenue, Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California, 90755, United States

yes

Coordinates: 33.8098401, -118.1768049

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