NASA picks Vast for 1st-ever private crewed ISS mission
NASA has chosen California-based Vast to send a four-person crew to the International Space Station, with liftoff targeted for no earlier than summer 2027 on a SpaceX Falcon 9.
The team will spend up to two weeks in orbit, diving into research on biology, tech, and more.
Here's how the mission will work
Vast will nominate four astronauts for NASA's approval. Once picked, they'll train with NASA and SpaceX before heading up.
Vast will purchase mission services from NASA, including crew consumables, cargo delivery, storage and other in-orbit resources, and NASA will purchase the capability to return scientific samples that must remain cold during transit back to Earth.
This partnership grew out of NASA's 2026 selection effort for private missions.
NASA and private companies working together
Vast aims to launch its own mini space station, Haven-1, also in 2027.
CEO Max Haot says this is a big step toward building commercial space stations and boosting the orbital economy.
NASA's Dana Weigel adds that bringing in companies like Vast helps speed up innovation in space.