Haven-1 Represents a New Standard that Merges Human-Centric Design with Function, Introducing Features for Unparalleled Comfort, Productivity, and Microgravity Lab Advancements

Vast, the US-based space habitation technology company pioneering the path to long-term living and thriving in space, today unveiled its interior design features aboard Haven-1, the world’s first commercial space station. Vast’s inaugural station combines the functionality of its state-of-the-art facilities for scientific research, technological advancement, and global collaboration in low-Earth orbit (LEO) with its remarkable dedication to sophisticated and human-centric design.

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Illustration of Haven-1, credit: Vast

Reflecting Vast’s commitment to prioritizing the well-being and experience of its astronauts and its vision for making space accessible to all, Haven-1 will launch in 2025 with a specific focus on ensuring form and function merge to provide greater comfort and quality of life for long-term missions. The interior design is warm and welcoming, while the exterior extends this design element by introducing a key new exterior element: a centralized window, allowing astronauts to experience a full view of Earth.

Guided by the expertise of Peter Russell-Clarke, a world-renowned designer who has shaped some of Apple's most iconic products, Haven-1’s human-centric industrial design introduces new dimensions of bold creativity and efficiency, creating a new standard for interior design in space.

"Astronauts living in zero gravity pose unique design challenges. Creating an environment that is both highly efficient and naturally comforting leads to totally new results. Haven-1 interiors are unprecedented, precisely engineered and sensitively designed to ensure its occupants thrive in space," said Russell-Clarke.

Andrew Feustel, a veteran NASA astronaut with over 23 years of experience who has logged over 225 days in space on the ISS, played a critical role in advising the team as they developed the interior. “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,” added Feustel.

Every detail of the Haven-1 interior has been implemented with an eye for detail, creating a visual hierarchy that allows the astronauts to focus on the task at hand, monitor the station's systems, and enjoy their experience onboard. After docking with a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, Haven-1 crew members open the Haven-1 exterior hatch and are greeted by a sleek, functional layout upon entry. A real-time display shows the station status with temperature and lighting controls, and optimized cargo compartments ensure essential supplies are stored efficiently. Notably, Haven-1’s interior surfaces are soft and padded to provide an added safety component for crew and visitors as they float throughout.

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, online communication with loved ones back on Earth (enabled by SpaceX Starlink connectivity), and, most importantly, a good night's rest. Experience has shown that sleeping in space can be a restless endeavor. Maximizing sleep efficiency and comfort remains critical to the overall experience aboard the Vast station. Historically, zero gravity sleep has been uncomfortable for astronauts due to a lack of standardized and consistent restraint systems during weightless sleep and a deficit in the distributed gravity forces humans are accustomed to on Earth. Vast’s patent-pending signature sleep system is roughly the size of a queen bed, provides a customized amount of equal pressure throughout the night, and accommodates side and back sleepers alike.

Additionally, each room features a built-in storage compartment, vanity, and a custom amenities kit.

The Common Area is at the station's core, a multifunctional hub where the crew can collaborate on the latest science and innovations, gather for communal meals, exercise, and relax. With a focus on modularity, this gathering area is unprecedented in volume at 24m³ and includes a 1.1m domed window. A deployable multi-use table spans 0.9m² for communal eating or drafting and can fold back into the floor when not in use. The expansive observation window delivers a vantage point with a singular, breathtaking view of Earth.

Exercise in space is a foundational routine for staying healthy on Earth. When humans are in space, their bodies respond and adapt to the new environment in many ways. However, performing impact-based exercise aboard the station can help mitigate these changes and improve cardiovascular and bone health. Vast’s team of engineers created a comprehensive system to address these challenges and keep the body strong. The resistance band system in the Common Area has body and station anchors for customized exercise routines targeting bone, muscular, and cardiovascular fitness. The system is capable of both linear and rotational resistance exercises, focusing on both upper and lower-body musculoskeletal health.

Another first-of-its-kind interior feature is the use of genuine safety-tested, fire-resistant maple wood veneer slats, bringing natural warmth into what has traditionally been a sterile, necessity-driven interior design for common gathering spaces aboard stations. This modern take on modular living and working on stations provides a calm and grounding framework, increasing functionality while improving daily well-being.

Directly connected to the Common Area is the Haven-1 Lab, the world’s first microgravity research, development, and manufacturing platform on a commercial space station. Behind the forward wall, 10 Middeck Locker Equivalent (MLE) payload slots are available for innovations that support the progress of life on Earth and advance the future of human spaceflight. Operated by Haven-1 astronauts, the lab can also be remotely commanded and monitored via SpaceX Starlink gigabit-speed Internet. This contemporary evolution of an on-station laboratory furthers the opportunities available for private astronauts working toward scientific discoveries, and governments and industries endeavoring to innovate across sectors.

Feustel, well acquainted with the specific needs of astronauts working in microgravity, also provided valuable information for the development of the Haven-1 Lab: "So much of our learning on ISS explores how living in microgravity affects the human body, both physically and psychologically — and one takeaway I’ve had is that intuitive design isn’t a luxury in that regard: it’s key to ensuring astronauts can work and live in space seamlessly. To see Haven-1’s design solve many of the challenges we faced aboard the ISS, and to use the progress we made there to ensure we can do this long-term while caring for ourselves is just extraordinary.”

Hillary Coe, Vast’s Chief Design and Marketing Officer and design veteran of SpaceX, Starlink, Google, and Apple, highlighted that designing for spaceflight must be rooted in a better understanding of the human condition: “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. From Molly McCormick (previously SpaceX), who leads Human Systems Design, to Dali Yu (previously IDEO), who leads Industrial Design, we are bridging the gap to solve for a truly human-first experience down to the material level. Together, we are moving beyond necessity to innovation, balancing comfort with functionality and committing to a future where we can all truly thrive at home aboard a commercial space station.”

With the launch of Haven-1, Vast is setting a new standard — delivering a blend of form and functionality never before seen on commercial space stations and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for shaping the future of life in space.

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. Launching as soon as 2025, Haven-1 will be home to the world’s first commercial crewed microgravity research, development, manufacturing platform, and space station. Vast is also developing its future Haven space station to serve NASA’s Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program. These revolutionary Haven stations are designed to test a range of artificial gravity environments, with a fully realized artificial gravity station launching in the 2030s and reaffirming the Vast's commitment to ensuring a spacefaring future for all.

Vastspace.com

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