Bold claim: The next era of space entrepreneurship hinges on turning private flights to the ISS into a thriving, orbit-spanning economy.
A California startup is set to fly its first astronaut mission next year, pending reality lining up with plans. NASA announced on Thursday that Long Beach–based Vast won the contract to conduct the sixth private astronaut flight to the International Space Station (ISS), with liftoff no earlier than summer 2027.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman framed private astronaut missions as more than a ride to the ISS. They’re a launchpad for new ideas, companies, and capabilities that amplify American leadership in low Earth orbit and pave the way for future missions beyond Earth orbit. He added that Vast joining this growing cadre of commercial partners strengthens the marketplace’s diversity of strengths, fueling faster innovation in research and technology as space flight expands toward the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
To date, four private astronaut flights have reached the ISS, all operated by Houston-based Axiom Space. Axiom is also lined up to lead the fifth mission, which is planned for no earlier than January 2027.
Axiom’s private missions rely on SpaceX hardware—Falcon 9 rockets and the Crew Dragon capsule—to ferry crew to and from the station. Typical missions run roughly two weeks from launch to splashdown.
Vast’s 2027 mission will follow that same general format, according to NASA. The exact crewmembers haven’t been finalized; Vast will submit four proposed names to NASA and the ISS partners for review and approval.
Both Vast and Axiom share a long-term objective: to establish and operate private space stations in low Earth orbit and to position visiting tourist flights to the ISS as stepping stones toward that broader dream.
Vast CEO Max Haot emphasized a strategic view: making use of the remaining life of the ISS for science and research-led commercial crewed missions is essential to the transition toward commercial space stations and unlocking the full orbital economy.
Axiom’s plan envisions launching several ISS modules beginning in 2027. This evolving, multi-module network would eventually detach from the ISS and become the independent Axiom Station.
Vast intends to roll out Haven-1, a pathfinder station in LEO, in 2027, using the insights gained to build Haven-2, a multi-module station in the following years. The company has already tested Haven technologies with Haven Demo—an approximately 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) pathfinder spacecraft launched to LEO last November to demonstrate core Haven capabilities.
Other players are pursuing their own LEO outposts as well. Blue Origin and Sierra Space are collaborating on Orbital Reef, while a consortium including NanoRacks and Voyager Space is developing Starlab. NASA has supported these efforts with funding of more than $500 million over the past five years to help commercialize space stations in LEO.
If these private stations don’t all come to fruition, Tiangong—the three-module Chinese space station completed in 2022—would remain the prominent LEO outpost after the ISS retires.
Source credits: Space.com coverage and NASA announcements; background on missions and hardware suppliers is provided to give context for private spaceflight’s evolving landscape.
Follow-up thought: With multiple private projects aiming to host crews and conduct research in LEO, how should regulators balance safety, commercial incentives, and scientific access to ensure a fair, competitive environment? Share your take on whether private space stations will meaningfully accelerate scientific progress or primarily drive new markets for tourism and branding.
