NASA's latest directive favors smaller-scale station projects by emerging players such as Vast over its original contractors.

Winners and Losers

Roughly five years ago, NASA initiated the development of private space stations by awarding contracts to four companies: Northrop Grumman, Blue Origin, Axiom Space, and Voyager Space. Since then, the landscape has shifted significantly. Northrop Grumman has exited its independent project to collaborate with Voyager Space. Additionally, emerging interest from other companies like Vast-partnering with SpaceX-is shaping new dynamics in this ambitious sector.

The recent directive from NASA’s leadership presents a notable shift in focus, seemingly favoring Vast over the initial set of contractors chosen by NASA. Vast’s Haven-1 module is engineered for a brief two-week mission with four astronauts, providing a simpler route to meeting NASA's basic requirements for space habitation.

Previously awarded companies envisioned larger stations designed for sustained operations in orbit, aligning with NASA’s original vision of replacing the International Space Station (ISS). However, this new policy prioritizes incrementally increasing capabilities through interim projects-beginning with short-duration stations.

"All current participants will need to reassess their strategies," stated McAlister. "Some will require more significant adjustments." An industry insider echoed this sentiment candidly: "Only Haven-1 stands to thrive under these conditions.”

Max Haot, CEO of Vast, explained that the company anticipated success would come from launching a minimum viable product as part of their strategy-a decision they backed financially without government assistance.

“It appears NASA now supports an industry-led approach for future Commercial LEO Destinations (CLDs), emphasizing technical feasibility and robust business models,” Haot commented. “Understanding contractor capabilities before committing helps reduce long-term risks and aligns well with successful practices seen in cargo and crew missions.”

Collaborating closely with SpaceX, Vast relies heavily on the Dragon spacecraft for Haven-1’s life support and propulsion systems. Future endeavors like Haven-2 aim to develop more autonomous operational capabilities.