Vast Space has signed a two-mission agreement with the French government, announced on 1 June 2026 at the Choose France Summit, covering a 2027 private astronaut flight to the International Space Station and a crewed test mission to Vast’s Haven‑1 commercial station. Both crewed missions are planned to last around two weeks and will be launched by SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets using Dragon spacecraft.
The framework foresees two French astronauts, with ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet intended as commander for the ISS private mission, subject to Multilateral Crew Operations Panel approval, and ESA reserve astronaut Arnaud Prost serving as flight test engineer on the inaugural Haven‑1 crewed flight. Mission objectives include scientific research, technology demonstrations and education-driven payloads from French industrial and academic actors, supported by CNES human spaceflight expertise.
Vast also confirmed that its European headquarters will be established in Paris and that Haven‑1 is already in integration at its Long Beach, California facility, targeting a 2027 launch, three-year on-orbit life and four 14-day crewed missions with four astronauts per rotation.