Vast to partner with Redwire and Yuri on Haven-1 Lab

Vast, a pioneering space habitation technology company, whose goal is to build the successor to the International Space Station (ISS), presented its Haven-1 Lab, scheduled to be the world’s first microgravity research, development, and manufacturing platform on a commercial space station. The Haven-1 Lab, set to launch no earlier than the second half of 2025 on Haven-1, will be a hub for companies, governments, and other entities to collaborate on science, research, and in-space manufacturing, starting with inaugural partners Redwire and Yuri

“The ISS may be on its way to be retired in 2030, but the institutional knowledge deserves a new platform for future microgravity research and manufacturing innovation. Our Haven-1 Lab is designed to provide that bridge well before the eventual retirement of ISS. This ensures that as we begin a new era of commercial space stations we can continue and expand upon vital international and commercial science and research in low Earth orbit (LEO),” said Vast CEO, Max Haot.

As low Earth orbit’s premier hub for commercial endeavors in microgravity, Vast’s Haven-1 Lab will allow partners to offer onboard facilities for research and development in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, advanced material manufacturing, biotechnology, scientific experiments, and more. The Haven-1 Lab features 10 Middeck Locker Equivalent payload slots, each roughly the size of a microwave. Each payload slot can weigh up to 30 kg (66 lbs), is provided with 100 W of continuous power, and has access to an Ethernet data connection. The astronaut crew will operate payloads on Haven-1, as well as be commanded and monitored by ground operators via Starlink laser links, providing Gigabit/s speed, low latency connectivity. Partners will have the opportunity to return products and samples from space via a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

In tandem with Vast’s announcement of its Haven-1 Lab, the company also announced Redwire and Yuri as its inaugural partners, representing some of the foremost experts in the development of microgravity payloads.

Haot added, “Microgravity experts and industry leaders like Redwire and Yuri need a consistent platform in space for conducting research and expanding cross-sector advancements with the inherent advantages of a crewed environment. We are proud to provide the foundation for that work and honored that they have entrusted us with their proven technology.”

Redwire is the global leader in microgravity research and development technologies, specializing in space biotechnology and pharmaceutical development, spanning more than three decades of human spaceflight heritage. Redwire owns nine payloads and facilities currently installed on the ISS including Redwire’s BioFabrication Facility, which successfully printed the first ever human meniscus and first live human heart tissue in space. Additionally, Redwire has developed a first-of-its-kind pharmaceutical drug development platform—Pharmaceutical In-space Laboratory – Bio-crystal Optimization Xperiments (PIL-BOX)—which has flown three flight missions to and from the ISS, demonstrating how microgravity can lead to innovations in drug development.

“Redwire is excited to be a key payload partner for Vast’s Haven-1 Lab as we continue to accelerate momentum in creating a new and dynamic economy in low Earth orbit. Haven-1 is the first private sector platform that Redwire hardware will launch with, extending the legacy of the ISS into a new era of commercial platforms,” said Mike Gold, Chief Growth Officer at Redwire.

Although the Redwire Advanced Space Experiment Processor (ADSEP) module will not focus specifically on additive manufacturing, 3D printing or bioprinting in this first stage, Vast and Redwire are known users and developers of AM-related technologies and applications. Redwire has developed and installed several in-space 3D printers and bioprinters on the ISS, while Vast has acquired Launcher, a major first adopter of AM technology for its rocket engine development and manufacturing. Launcher founder Max Haot is now the CEO at Vast. ADSPET is

Yuri, Vast’s second inaugural payload partner, is renowned for its pioneering efforts in leveraging microgravity to develop groundbreaking biotech products, cures, and medical solutions. This partnership with Vast will enable Yuri to expand its innovative payload opportunities to the global institutional and commercial research community. By utilizing the on-orbit version of ScienceTaxi, Yuri will unlock new scientific discoveries through its superior technical capabilities, such as advanced space microscopy. This initiative will harness the potential of LEO for commercial biotech advancements.

Co-Founder and CEO Maria Birlem emphasized the significance of this collaboration, stating, “Now is the time to showcase marked driven commercial collaboration in LEO. As a European partner, we see a tremendous opportunity to significantly increase European utilization of LEO, particularly with Haven-1, due to its simplified access to microgravity for non-US stakeholders. Haven-1 is set to be the first Post-ISS scenario, and the entire world stands to benefit.”

In addition to these inaugural partnerships, Vast is pursuing payload partnerships in a variety of cutting-edge industries, including semiconductor and advanced material manufacturing, edge computing, and machine learning.

Furthering the company’s commitment to foster increased innovation in the payload space, Vast is also offering a unique payload end-user program so that individuals and companies of any size or capacity can join forces with established payload partners to access space in a low-cost manner, conduct independent or joint experiments in microgravity environments, and tap into unlimited opportunities for collaborative growth.