Haven-1: Private space station aims to redefine orbit living with luxury features

Vast, a U.S.-based space startup, says Haven-1 will become the world’s first private space station, with a launch expected as early as 2026. The four-crew laboratory is designed for short-duration missions to perform scientific research and test manufacturing in microgravity, a niche that proponents say could widen private access to orbit.

Haven-1 is compact by space-station standards: a diameter of 4.4 meters and a usable volume of 45 cubic meters. That places it roughly one-eighth the volume of the International Space Station. Inside, the design emphasizes comfort and a human-centric environment, with padded walls and maple wood paneling, four queen-size sleeping systems on the outside of the central corridor, a living area, a deployable table, and a 1.2-meter observation window from which crew can view Earth. The living area also houses the station's laboratory system and a gym.

Sleeping arrangements reflect the station's emphasis on comfort. The four patent-pending signature sleep systems sit outside the central corridor, with beds described as roughly the size of a queen and designed to provide a customized amount of even pressure for side and back sleepers in microgravity.

Four astronauts will live aboard Haven-1 for up to 30 days per mission, conducting experiments and testing microgravity manufacturing in a relatively small, rapidly deployed platform. The design aims to support a rapid cadence of missions, rather than long stays.

Vast has aligned Haven-1 with SpaceX to ensure regular resupply via Crew Dragon spacecraft. Additionally, the company plans a Haven Demo small satellite this year to validate critical systems such as propulsion, flight computers, and navigation software ahead of the main station's launch.

Cost estimates for Haven-1 have not been disclosed, but Vast says it has invested about $1 billion by the time of launch. The company envisions Haven-2 as a larger, modular successor with an internal volume of about 500 cubic meters and up to 12 astronauts, based on the ISS design.

Compared with the ISS, Haven-1 will be much smaller, and it is described as a minimal viable space station intended as a proving ground for faster deployment and for testing artificial gravity technologies later. The plan is to eventually replace or supplement traditional governmental and corporate operations with a family of private habitats built around different use cases.

Context about the International Space Station underscores the scale of the industry shift. The ISS is a $100 billion laboratory that orbits roughly 250 miles above Earth and has been continuously staffed since 2000. NASA and international partners fund its operations, with private citizens paying tens of millions for certain visits. The future of the orbiting lab beyond 2025 remains a topic of debate as nations and private firms pursue plans for new space infrastructure. Vast says Haven-1 could serve as the first step toward a broader program that includes Haven-2 and other modular platforms.