Vast Space’s Haven-1 has moved from a mid‑2026 target to a first‑quarter 2027 launch, CEO Max Haot told Ars. The 15‑ton module is the first private station NASA hopes will bridge the gap as the International Space Station retires within five years. With Voyager, Axiom and Blue Origin also vying for NASA contracts, the schedule race is heating up.

Last Saturday the team completed the primary structure and much of the secondary frame, then began clean‑room integration of the thermal‑control system, propulsion, interior shells and avionics. Acceptance testing wrapped in November, and a full Plum Brook test campaign is slated for late‑year. Launch will ride a Falcon 9.

Haven‑1 will launch uncrewed, then spend weeks verifying pressure, attitude and docking parameters before SpaceX approves a Dragon crewed visit. Negotiations with private astronauts and nation‑states are ongoing, but a crew could arrive as soon as two weeks after certification, extending the station’s operational life for up to three years.