JAKARTA - SpaceX and startup Vast plan to launch their first commercial space station. The station, dubbed Haven-1, will orbit Earth by 2025.
The station is scheduled to launch on SpaceX's rocket, Falcon 9 into low-Earth orbit no earlier than August 2025. Haven-1 will join moments later with a larger Vast-1 module, followed by SpaceX spacecraft Crew Dragon with four astronauts on board.
Currently Haven-1 is under development. The vehicle and its four crew members will dock in Haven-1 for up to 30 days while orbiting Earth. Vast also gets options with SpaceX for additional human spaceflight missions to Haven-1.
"Vast is excited to start a journey to launch the world's first commercial space station, Haven-1, and its first crew, Vast-1," said Vast CEO Jed McCaleb, in an official statement quoted Thursday, May 11.
"We thank SpaceX for this exciting partnership which is the first step in Vast's long-term vision to launch a much larger artificial gravitational space station in Earth orbit and beyond," he added.
This is the first time in history, where commercial space station companies have contracted launches for their work and visiting human spaceflight missions.
"Commercial rockets launching commercial spacecraft with commercial astronauts to commercial space stations are the future of low-Earth orbit, and with Vast we are taking another step towards realizing that future," said Senior Vice President of Commercial Business at SpaceX, Tom Ochinero.
"The SpaceX team is excited to launch Vast's Haven-1 and support a continued human spaceflight mission to an orbiting commercial space station."
The Los Angeles-based startup, United States (US) will sell up to four manned seats on its maiden mission to Haven-1. Expected customers include domestic and international space agencies and private individuals involved in science and philanthropic projects.
While SpaceX, will provide crew training on the Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft, emergency preparedness, spacesuits, and spacecraft entry and exit exercises, as well as partial and full mission simulations including docking and undocking with Haven-1 to return to Earth.
Vast and SpaceX's plans come when the International Space Station (ISS) will be deactivated in 2031. However, the private company plans to launch their own station, so astronauts can continue to live doing research in low-Earth orbit.
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