World’s first commercial space station Haven-1 unveiled

A US-based aerospace company unveiled the final design of Haven-1, touted to be the world's first commercial space station.

Though the exterior body looks like any other space station, the minimalistic interior architecture is simply stunning, on par with a 5-star hotel.

It has a minimalist design with visually pleasing decor and beautiful lighting set-up across the rooms.

NASA astronaut Andrew Feustel, who also spent more than 225 days in space on the International Space Station (ISS), was one of the advisors for Vast to build their first space station.

“I’ve flown three missions to space, and we are learning from those experiences and innovating to improve the way we can live and work on a space station. From communication and connectivity to private space and interacting with others aboard, to advancing human progress on Earth and beyond, every detail has been designed with the astronaut experience at the core of our work,” said Feustel.

Vast is collaborating with Elon Musk's SpaceX to ship travellers from Earth to the space station. They will travel on the SpaceX Dragon series rocketship and once the spacecraft docks into Vast's Haven-1 space station, the visitors will enter the beautifully designed compact room.

Haven-1 deployable table.

It will have a real-time display that shows the station status with temperature and lighting controls. It also has optimised cargo compartments, which ensure essential supplies are stored efficiently.

Also, the interior has a padded surface, which is made of soft and sturdy material to provide an added safety component for crew and visitors, as they float throughout.

Also, it features genuine safety-tested, fire-resistant maple wood veneer slats, bringing natural warmth to the room.

"Above and below the corridor, the station’s four private crew quarters offer astronauts a space to rest and recharge. Slightly larger than the crew quarters aboard the ISS, these expanded personal rooms are uniquely designed to allow for changing, entertainment, and online communication with loved ones back on Earth", said the company.

Also, the internet service with up to a gigabit-per-second speed will be provided via SpaceX's Starlink satellites.

Haven-1 private sleeping quarter.

And, for resting, Vast has developed a patent-pending signature sleep system. It is said to be around the size of a queen bed. It can offer a customised amount of equal pressure throughout the night, and support side and back sleeping positions.

Besides personal rooms, the Haven-1 has a compact gathering area of 24 cubic-metre space and includes a 1.1m domed window. It also supports a deployable multi-use table, which can expand up to 0.9sqm for communal eating or drafting. It can fold back into the floor when not in use. There will also be an expansive observation window, which offers a magnificent view of Earth.

Haven-1 multi-use common area with domed-window.

Another notable aspect of Haven-1 is that travellers can do exercise so that. For regular people, it will take some to accumulate in the environment with less gravity. They have to exercise to make the body adjust to the new setup in space. It is important to improve their cardiovascular and bone health.

In the common area, the company has incorporated body and station anchors to offer customised exercise routines targeting bone, muscular, and cardiovascular fitness.

The new Haven-1 is not just a space travel suite for fine dining and enjoyment, but also houses dedicated lab space for private researchers to work on scientific space experiments.

Hillary Coe, Vast’s Chief Design and Marketing Officer and design veteran of SpaceX, Starlink, Google, and Apple, said: “We have big ambitions to create a future where everyone is living and thriving on Earth and in space — and this, of course, requires a shift in how we approach design for all backgrounds and comfort levels."

Founded in 2021 by Jed McCaleb, Vast has plans to put Haven-1 in the space in 2025. It will have a crewed microgravity research and development centre, manufacturing platforms, and a space station. In the 2030s, it will have artificial gravity stations that can house up to eight people.

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