Vast expands beyond space stations to build high-power satellites
▼ Summary
– Vast Space launched a small demonstration spacecraft in November, which completed dozens of test objectives and successfully de-orbited three months later.
– The company announced plans to sell high-powered satellite buses, diversifying its products beyond its Haven-1 space station.
– The first satellite bus is a 15 kW-class system, 3 meters long and 4 meters tall, with a 700 kg mass and a design lifetime of five years.
– The satellite bus will use technology from Haven-1, plus new in-house electric propulsion and deployable solar arrays.
– Vast has signed a customer for four satellites, with an option for up to 200 more, targeting a launch of at least 10 satellites in late 2027.
Vast Space, the ambitious startup behind plans for the world’s first private space station, is now aiming far beyond orbital habitats. After launching a small demonstration spacecraft in early November and completing dozens of test objectives before a successful de-orbit three months later, the company is leveraging its proven technologies to enter a new market: high-powered satellite buses.
The Long Beach, California-based firm announced Tuesday that it will begin selling these advanced satellite platforms, marking a strategic pivot to diversify its revenue streams. “Every single successful space company is diversified in its products,” said Max Haot, chief executive of Vast Space, in an interview. “So for us it really was a question of when, not if.”
The company’s first offering is a 15 kW-class satellite bus designed for power-intensive applications. Each satellite measures roughly 3 meters long and 4 meters tall, with a mass of 700 kg and a payload capacity of at least 350 kg. With a design lifetime of five years, these spacecraft are intended to operate across a wide range of orbits, from low-Earth orbit out to lunar orbit. Vast aims to serve customers in telecommunications, Earth observation, and data services. Haot also noted that Vast plans to offer an NVIDIA Space-1 Vera Rubin Module to support orbital data center inferencing needs.
The satellite bus,essentially the backbone providing power, propulsion, and navigation for various payloads,will largely inherit technology from Vast’s Haven-1 space station, which is slated to launch next year as the world’s first private space station. However, the satellite will require some new components. Haot confirmed that Vast is already developing electric propulsion and a deployable solar array in-house for the new platform.
Vast has already secured its first customer, signing a deal for four satellites with an option to purchase up to 200 additional units. Haot said the company is targeting a launch of at least 10 Vast Satellites in the fourth quarter of 2027. With this move, Vast is positioning itself as a multi-faceted player in the space industry, not just a station builder but a provider of high-power infrastructure for the next generation of orbital missions.
(Source: Ars Technica)
