Latest news with #AndrewFeustel
Business Wire
5 days ago
- Business Wire
Vast Releases Haven-1 Space Station VR App for Apple Vision Pro, Meta Headsets, and SteamVR
LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vast, developing humanity's next-generation space stations and pioneering the path to long-term living and thriving in space, will make its Haven-1 VR app available to the public, allowing users to explore the interior of Haven-1, the world's first commercial space station. Available on Meta, the App Store, and Steam, the experience provides users with an intimate look at what life is like aboard a next-generation space station, designed with a human-centric approach. Now, space enthusiasts, educators, and others around the globe can virtually observe and engage with the station's advanced technology and capabilities, including crew quarters, the common area, and the Haven-1 Lab, with the help of VR. Vast Lead Astronaut, and former Acting Chief Astronaut at NASA, Andrew Feustel, serves as the narrator of the simulation, and also advised on the app's development. With three missions to space and 197 days on the International Space Station, Feustel's input was essential to ensuring an accurate simulation of being onboard a space station. In the opening, Feustel greets the user at Vast headquarters in Long Beach, California, where Haven-1 is currently being designed and manufactured. His voice then guides the user through the station's interior, inviting them to interact with life support systems and other critical components showcasing the functionality of the station. Much like on a real mission aboard Haven-1, the app enables users to run experiments and partake in routine astronaut activities including accessing storage areas for food and crew equipment, and checking a digital crew interface that monitors the station's systems. Users can also interact with the simulated Haven-1 Lab, the world's first microgravity research, development, and manufacturing platform on a commercial, crewed space station. In the Haven-1 Lab, the user can check on experiments and view payloads from inaugural lab partners Redwire and Yuri, both foremost experts in developing microgravity payloads. Other features of Haven-1 VR include the 1.1 m domed window, which boasts an immersive, 180-degree view of Earth, and the revolutionary zero gravity sleep system, which provides optimal support and comfort to astronauts while they sleep. Feustel specifically provided guidance on the simulated experience of looking through the window and the 'overview effect', a documented phenomenon that Feustel and other astronauts have experienced when viewing the Earth from space. Scheduled to launch no earlier than May 2026, Haven-1 represents a preliminary step toward Vast's vision of pioneering the future of long-term space habitation. Download the VR app from Meta, the App Store, or Steam to follow Vast's progress and get an up-close look at the world's first commercial space station. About Vast Founded in 2021 by Jed McCaleb, Vast is developing humanity's next-generation space stations and pioneering the path to long-term living and thriving in space. Haven-1, scheduled to be the world's first commercial space station, is currently in development and is expected to launch NET May 2026. Vast is also developing Haven-2, the proposed successor to the International Space Station (ISS), designed to serve NASA's Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program as a micro-gravity laboratory in space. Vast's long-term ambition is to create artificial gravity habitations that enable humans to live in space, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring a spacefaring future for all.
Zawya
13-05-2025
- Science
- Zawya
Veteran NASA astronaut Feustel named NYU Abu Dhabi Commencement speaker
Abu Dhabi, UAE – NASA astronaut and geophysicist Dr. Andrew Feustel will address the graduating Class of 2025 at New York University Abu Dhabi's twelfth Commencement ceremony on May 22. Feustel has logged more than 226 days in space across three NASA missions and has amassed a wealth of experience in deep-Earth research and space exploration. His extensive spacewalking expertise, nine spacewalks totaling over 60 hours, ranks him third among all U.S. astronauts for cumulative time spent performing extravehicular activities. "Dr. Feustel's remarkable journey from studying seismic waves in underground mines to servicing the Hubble Space Telescope exemplifies the intellectual curiosity and boundary-pushing spirit we foster at NYU Abu Dhabi," said Vice Chancellor Fabio Piano. "His message of exploration and perseverance will resonate deeply with our diverse, forward-thinking graduates." In addition to his spacewalking achievements, Feustel served as the flight engineer and later the commander of Expedition 55/56 aboard the International Space Station. He also held the positions of acting Chief Astronaut at NASA and Lead Astronaut at Vast, an American aerospace company. His missions include STS-125, the final Hubble servicing mission, and STS-134 to deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the ISS. Before joining NASA in 2000, Feustel earned his Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from Queen's University, specializing in seismology. NYU Abu Dhabi's Class of 2025 consists of 530 students from over 85 countries, among them more than 20% UAE nationals, upholding the university's legacy of fostering a truly global learning community since its inaugural commencement in 2014. Their fields of study span cutting-edge sciences and engineering programs alongside vibrant studies in the humanities, arts, and social sciences. The commencement ceremony will feature welcome remarks from Khalid Alzeyoudi, an Emirati student majoring in computer engineering and a prominent leader throughout his time at NYU Abu Dhabi. He served on the Executive Board of the UAE Majlis, mentored in the Academic Enrichment Program, and represented National Military Service students on the Student Government Domestic Student Advisory Board. Pauline Wee, from the Philippines, will deliver the class address at the ceremony. A double major in Computer Science and Business, Organizations, and Society with a minor in Interactive Media, Wee co-led The Design Collective and the Craft Circle Student Interest Groups. She has led numerous on-campus and research projects throughout her academic career, channeling her passion for creating impact as a software engineer, designer, founder, and community leader. The ceremony will include traditional elements such as the Ceremony of the Torch, featuring NYU's iconic torch symbol that has been part of university commencements since 1938, and the announcement of the NYU Abu Dhabi Distinguished Alumni Award. About NYU Abu Dhabi NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the top 35 universities in the world, making NYU Abu Dhabi the highest-ranked university in the UAE and MENA region. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity's shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi's high-achieving students have come from over 120 countries and speak over 100 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.
