New Delhi, February 13 California-based private space company Vast signed an agreement with NASA on Friday for the sixth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, which is expected to launch no earlier than summer 2027 from Florida, officials said.
This will be Vast's first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in partnership with NASA.
Max Haot, CEO at Vast, said in a statement, "Vast is honored to have been selected by NASA for the sixth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station… Utilizing the remaining life of the International Space Station with science and research-led commercial crewed missions is a critical part of the transition to commercial space stations and fully unlocking the orbital economy."
The crew is expected to spend up to 14 days aboard the space station, aiming to generate insights into the infrastructure and processes required for Vast to safely accomplish human spaceflight missions.
"A specific launch date will depend on overall spacecraft traffic at the orbital outpost and other planning considerations. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket will launch the crew on a Dragon spacecraft to the space station," an official said.
Vast is currently designing a multi-module space station, known as Haven-2, which the company has proposed to be the successor to the ISS, set to be retired in 2030.
The company also plans to launch Haven-1 in 2027, which could become the world's first commercial space station, an official said.