--- title: "Startup Unveils Luxurious Final Design for Its Planned Commercial Space Station" description: "Space startup Vast has shown off the final design of what it claims will be the \"world's first commercial space station.\"" date: "2024-10-10" modified: "2024-10-10" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/vast-commercial-space-station" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "commercial space station" - "haven-1" - "vast" --- # Startup Unveils Luxurious Final Design for Its Planned Commercial Space Station ![Space startup Vast has shown off the final design of what it claims will be the "world's first commercial space station."]() *\Image: Vast\* Space startup Vast has [shown off the final design]() of what it claims will be the "world's first commercial space station." The structure dubbed Haven-1 is a sleek, cylindrical outpost designed to house "state-of-the-art facilities for scientific research" while "prioritizing the well-being and experience of its astronauts and its vision for making space accessible to all," according to a [press release](). Despite being an exciting glimpse of future space travel, Vast's flashy images are just mockups. The company is [hoping to launch its station]() via SpaceX Falcon 9"no earlier than August 2025." Considering the sheer level of complexity involved and the many startups before it that have had similar aims but never had [anything to show](), we should expect that date to change. On the other hand, there's already a reliable way to get there and back in the form of SpaceX's tried-and-true Crew Dragon spacecraft. https://twitter.com/vast/status/1844393014069743944 Notably, Vast was founded in 2021 by programmer Jed McCaleb, who also founded the [Mt. Gox Bitcoin exchange]() that was shut down in 2014 and has been the [subject of speculation and plenty of lawsuits]() ever since. McCaleb's new space station endeavor was created to develop the first-ever artificial-gravity space station — but Haven-1 isn't quite as ambitious as that. Images show a massive, 3.6-foot domed glass window that would provide passengers with a wide-angle view of the Earth below. ![]() Up to four crew members would have ample space for their stuff thanks to each room featuring a "built-in storage compartment, vanity, and a custom amenities kit," the website explains. The station's "soft and padded" interior surfaces would ensure crew members don't get hurt if they bump their heads on the walls thanks to the near weightlessness of space. Sleeping on board the station seems like it would be an equally luxurious experience. ![]() "Vast’s patent-pending signature sleep system is roughly the size of a queen bed, provides a customized amount of equal pressure throughout the night, and accommodates side and back sleepers alike," the company's press release reads. An image shows a woman cozying up beneath a massive duvet, a far cry from the [depressing sleeping pods]() on board the International Space Station. ![]() A common area would allow passengers to gather and enjoy "breathtaking views" of Earth, while the station's integrated fitness center would provide them with an opportunity to get in a workout hundreds of miles above the surface. Naturally, SpaceX is slated to provide Starlink internet connectivity to the space station. It's still unclear how much it will cost to stay on board the Haven-1, but considering a simple trip to the International Space Station on board a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft can [cost around $55 million]() a seat, we'd wager it'll be an experience reserved for the ultra-rich. **More on Vast:** *[The Mt Gox Guy Is Back and He Says He's Launching a Space Station]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()