🚀 Falcon 9 | 🛰 Haven-1
Launch date: May 15, 2026 00:00 UTC
Payload: Haven-1
Location: SLC-40 Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
Vehicle: Falcon 9
Vast aims to launch its Haven-1 commercial space station module aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in May 2026, having shifted the date from an earlier August 2025 target. The company expects to complete the primary structure in July 2025 and proceed through vehicle integration, subsystem testing, and environmental tests at NASA’s Glenn Research Center through early 2026. Haven-1 is designed to support up to four crew members for science-focused missions and seeks to become the first private space station in orbit, paving the way for future modules and partnerships. The crew selection announcement is anticipated soon. NASA is providing technical support through an unfunded Space Act Agreement, and several commercial science partners are signed on to use Haven-1’s lab capabilities.
Key steps include finalized design, cooperation with SpaceX (including integration with Crew Dragon), and ongoing partnership development with international agencies and private researchers. The article describes extensive progress in module readiness, facility construction, and the establishment of science partnerships for the mission. Future plans involve follow-on Haven-2 modules using Falcon Heavy. For more technical details and partner updates, see the links below.
Videos
SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, USA
Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) is a historic launch site located at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Built in the 1960s, it was originally used for Titan III and Titan IV launches, supporting a variety of military, intelligence, and interplanetary missions. After a period of inactivity, SpaceX leased and extensively modified SLC-40 in the 2000s to launch Falcon 9 rockets.
Since becoming operational for SpaceX in 2010, SLC-40 has become a principal hub for commercial, governmental, and crewed missions aboard Falcon 9. The pad has seen dozens of launches annually, significantly contributing to America’s presence in space exploration, satellite deployment, and servicing the International Space Station.