Will Indian rockets take crew to world's first commercial space station?

Indian rockets could soon carry astronauts to the world's first commercial space station, as the CEO of US-based company Vast said in an interview that they are exploring collaboration with ISRO for crewed missions to their upcoming orbital laboratory. read more
US-based space exploration company Vast, which is working on launching the world's first commercial space station, is keen to use Indian rockets for sending crew members to its future space lab, the company's CEO, Max Haot, said in an interview with The Times of India.
Speaking to The Times of India, Haot said, 'There is a possibility of using Gaganyaan rockets to transport crew to our space station.'
He was recently in India to attend the GLEX-2025 space conference.
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Vast is developing a space station called Haven-2, which aims to replace the International Space Station after its planned retirement in 2031. The company currently has over 750 team members.
Haot said, 'We want to work with all countries involved in human space missions. India is emerging as a leader in this field, which is exciting. We are open to various collaborations, including technology exchange, within export control limits.'
He further said Vast is very impressed with Isro and the Indian government's efforts to develop new capabilities, especially regarding the upcoming Gaganyaan programme and the Axiom-4 mission to the ISS, which will make India the fourth country in the world to achieve the capability to send an astronaut to space.
'We are seeking Nasa's support for the Haven-2 project, which will be managed by Vast. Once operational, this commercial space station will be open to all,' he added.
Vast to launch Haven-1 in 2026, Heaven-2 in 2031
Before building Haven-2, California-based Vast plans to launch Haven-1, a small single-module space station, in May 2026 using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Haven-1 will offer 45 cubic metres of habitable space and can support up to four crew members for missions lasting around two weeks.
The first module of Haven-2, a much larger space station, is scheduled to launch in 2028. Vast aims to make this module operational by 2028 and complete the entire space station by 2032. Haven-2 will cater to both government and commercial users. It will feature nine modules, 500 cubic metres of living space, and generate 86 kilowatts of power.
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India's space station program can gain from Vast's expertise
Isro is preparing to launch its crewed Gaganyaan mission in 2027. If successful, more such missions will follow. While India is also working on its own Bharatiya Antariksh Station, collaboration with Vast on its commercial space station could be beneficial for India, as Isro stands to gain from Vast's expertise in setting up a space station.
Vast's mission to build artificial gravity space stations
Vast is a US-based private aerospace company headquartered in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 2021 by entrepreneur Jed McCaleb. The company focuses on developing artificial gravity space stations to support long-term human habitation in space.
Vast's first project, Haven-1, is a single-module space station scheduled for launch in 2025 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The station is designed to accommodate four crew members for up to 30 days and will serve as a platform for scientific research and commercial activities in low Earth orbit.

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