Vast, a pioneer in space habitation technologies, and The Exploration Company, builder and operator of the Nyx reusable space capsule, signed a cargo services agreement for a 2028 mission to Vast’s second Haven space station. Walther Pelzer, Director General of the German Space Agency at DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt) and Bale Dalton, NASA Chief of Staff, attended the signing event along with Max Haot, Chief Executive Officer of Vast, and Helene Huby, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of the The Exploration Company.
The Exploration Company’s Nyx cargo vehicle can carry upwards of 4,000 kilograms to Vast’s second Haven space station. Nyx can also return upwards of 2,600 kilograms of payload (down-mass) from the space station safely back to Earth. The new cargo agreement between Vast and The Exploration Company expands cooperation in human spaceflight between the American and European space industries, enabling a research-based economy in LEO. The contract reaffirms The Exploration Company’s technological leadership, demonstrating it can competitively serve the cargo needs of future commercial space stations.
Vast builds commercial in-space habitation, research, and manufacturing facilities to serve NASA, ESA, DLR, and other government space agencies around the globe, driving demand for affordable and sustainable space transportation to LEO.
Max Haot, CEO at Vast: “Vast is excited to partner with The Exploration Company as we strengthen our collaboration with European industry and enable human space exploration with ESA member space agencies such as DLR. We are building strong ties with the European space ecosystem and Nyx is an excellent solution for our space station cargo needs.”
Helene Huby, CEO and Founder of the Exploration Company: “We are grateful for the trust Vast is placing in our Nyx cargo system. We are excited to support future Haven commercial space station operations as Vast fields a replacement to the International Space Station before the end of the decade. I am proud of our team for continuously delivering on our promises, unleashing its talent, and strengthening the credibility of not only The Exploration Company, but Europe’s space industry.”
About The Exploration Company
The Exploration Company’s mission is to build accessible, sustainable, and cooperative space worlds. To realize this mission, The Exploration Company builds and operates ‘Nyx’, a modular and reusable space capsule. Nyx provides a wide scope of missions ranging from resupplying space stations around the Earth and the Moon, free flying around the Earth or landing on the Moon - and safely coming back to Earth. Nyx starts with flying cargo to space stations around the Earth and has the potential to carry humans.
About Vast
Vast is a pioneer in space habitation technologies focused on expanding humanity across the solar system. Founded in 2021, the company is building Haven-1, the world’s first private space station slated to launch no earlier than August 2025. Vast is developing their future Haven space station to serve NASA’s Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program. Vast’s long term goal is to build low-cost artificial gravity crewed stations so people can live and work in space for long periods of time without the adverse effects of zero-gravity.
Source: Vast
