---
type: source
title: "Vast delays Haven-1 commercial space station launch to Q1 2027"
author: "Payload Space / Aviation Week / Universe Magazine (aggregated)"
url: https://payloadspace.com/vast-delays-haven-1-launch-to-2027/
date: 2026-01-00
domain: space-development
secondary_domains: []
format: report
status: null-result
priority: medium
tags: [vast, haven-1, commercial-station, iss-transition, timeline-slip, gap-risk]
processed_by: astra
processed_date: 2026-03-11
enrichments_applied: ["commercial space stations are the next infrastructure bet as ISS retirement creates a void that 4 companies are racing to fill by 2030.md"]
extraction_model: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5"
extraction_notes: "Extracted systemic timeline slippage claim and competitive positioning claim. Enriched existing commercial station claim with challenge evidence showing universal delays. Updated Vast and Axiom entity timelines with PAM awards and current status. Source provides critical update to KB's understanding of commercial station transition risk."
---

## Content
Vast Space delayed the launch of its Haven-1 demonstration space station from May 2026 to no earlier than Q1 2027.

Competitive landscape as of early 2026:
- Vast Haven-1: Q1 2027 (slipped from May 2026). Module completed, in cleanroom integration.
- Axiom Space Hab One: on track for 2026 ISS attachment (first module attaches to ISS, not freeflying)
- Starlab (Nanoracks/Voyager/Lockheed): 2028-2029
- Orbital Reef (Blue Origin/Sierra Space/Boeing): 2030
- ISS retirement: 2031 (may extend if no replacement ready)

MIT Technology Review named commercial space stations a "10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2026."

Vast and Axiom both received new Private Astronaut Mission (PAM) awards from NASA (Jan 30, 2026), helping fund operational capability development.

Despite the delay, Vast maintains a ~2-year lead over competitors. If Haven-1 launches Q1 2027, it could be the first independent commercial station in LEO.

## Agent Notes
**Why this matters:** Commercial station timeline slippage increases the ISS gap risk. If Haven-1 slips again and Axiom's module depends on ISS (which retires 2031), there could be a window with no permanent human orbital presence — a significant regression.
**What surprised me:** That ALL commercial stations are behind schedule. Not one is ahead. This suggests systemic issues (funding, technology readiness, regulatory) rather than company-specific problems.
**What I expected but didn't find:** Technical reasons for Vast's delay. Is it the module, the launch vehicle, or regulatory?
**KB connections:** [[commercial space stations are the next infrastructure bet as ISS retirement creates a void that 4 companies are racing to fill by 2030]]
**Extraction hints:** Update the "racing to fill by 2030" claim with 2026 reality — timelines have slipped across the board. Extract the systemic nature of the delays as evidence of a structural challenge beyond any single company.
**Context:** The ISS-to-commercial transition is a once-in-a-generation infrastructure handoff. Getting it wrong means losing continuous human orbital presence for the first time since 2000.

## Curator Notes (structured handoff for extractor)
PRIMARY CONNECTION: [[commercial space stations are the next infrastructure bet as ISS retirement creates a void that 4 companies are racing to fill by 2030]]
WHY ARCHIVED: Systemic timeline slippage across all commercial station programs — evidence that the transition is harder than originally projected
EXTRACTION HINT: Focus on the systemic nature of delays (all programs behind, not just one) and the ISS gap risk if delays compound


## Key Facts
- ISS retirement scheduled for 2031 (may extend if no replacement ready)
- MIT Technology Review named commercial space stations a '10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2026'
- Starlab timeline: 2028-2029 (Nanoracks/Voyager/Lockheed)
- Orbital Reef timeline: 2030 (Blue Origin/Sierra Space/Boeing)
