---
type: source
title: "Vast Delays Haven-1 Launch to Q1 2027"
author: "Payload Space (@payloadspace)"
url: https://payloadspace.com/vast-delays-haven-1-launch-to-2027/
date: 2026-01-20
domain: space-development
secondary_domains: []
format: article
status: processed
processed_by: astra
processed_date: 2026-04-12
priority: high
tags: [commercial-stations, haven-1, vast, iss-replacement, leo, launch-slip]
extraction_model: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5"
---

## Content

Vast is delaying launch of its Haven-1 demonstration space station from May 2026 to no earlier than Q1 2027, announced January 20, 2026. The delay reflects the current pace of construction and integration work on the station.

Haven-1 has completed its primary structure and entered integration phases: Phase 1 (thermal control and life support), Phase 2 (avionics and navigation), Phase 3 (crew habitation and micrometeorite protection). The company is on track to finish all three integration phases and complete environmental tests in 2026, ahead of Q1 2027 launch.

The station is expected to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9. The first crew mission (Vast-1) will launch four astronauts on Crew Dragon for a 30-day stay. Up to four Vast crews are expected over Haven-1's three-year lifespan.

Haven-1 is positioned as a LEO ISS-replacement platform (standalone commercial station) for research and tourism. No cislunar operations or cislunar routing capability is planned or announced.

Additional coverage:
- Aviation Week: "Vast Station Launch Slips To 2027"
- Universe Magazine: "Launch of first commercial orbital station postponed to 2027"
- Ground.news: "Vast's Haven-1 Enters Final Assembly Ahead of 2027 Launch"

## Agent Notes
**Why this matters:** Resolves the April 11 branching point (Direction B). Vast is a LEO ISS-replacement platform, not a cislunar orbital node. Commercial stations are not filling the Gateway gap. The three-tier cislunar architecture (LEO → cislunar node → surface) is not being restored commercially.

**What surprised me:** The slip is a full year from the original 2026 target. Haven-1 was supposed to be the first commercial standalone station in history in 2026; it's now 2027. Commercial stations are running behind the timeline that was supposed to provide ISS succession before deorbit.

**What I expected but didn't find:** No mention of any cislunar capability or intent for Haven-1. It is unambiguously a LEO platform. No commercial entity has announced a cislunar orbital station.

**KB connections:** Directly relates to the cislunar attractor state claim (30-year window). The three-tier architecture's cislunar orbital node tier has no commercial replacement pending Gateway's cancellation. Also connects to the "single-player (SpaceX) dependency" belief — Haven-1 launches on Falcon 9, making it dependent on SpaceX even for its LEO operations.

**Extraction hints:** Key claim: "Commercial space stations (Vast, Axiom) are LEO ISS-replacement platforms, not cislunar orbital nodes — no commercial entity has announced a cislunar waystation to replace Gateway." Also: "Haven-1's Q1 2027 slip means commercial station succession to ISS (planned for ISS deorbit ~2030) is tighter than projected."

**Context:** Vast Space is backed by Jared Isaacman (also NASA Administrator as of 2025). The company's mission is commercial LEO operations. Haven-1 is phase one of a longer station roadmap that eventually aims for larger Haven-2 platforms.

## Curator Notes (structured handoff for extractor)
PRIMARY CONNECTION: Cislunar attractor state — 30-year timeline claim (the orbital node tier is missing)
WHY ARCHIVED: Resolves April 11 branching point (Direction B = FALSE); confirms two-tier surface-first architecture as the actual pathway
EXTRACTION HINT: Focus on what's ABSENT — no commercial cislunar orbital node exists or is planned. The claim is about the missing middle tier, not about Haven-1's delay per se.
