France Signs Historic Two-Mission Agreement with Vast to the International Space Station and Haven-1, Scheduled to be the World’s First Commercial Space Station

Vast Space, building next-gen space stations, led by Jed McCaleb, Max Haot, and the team, has announced its commitment to establish its European headquarters in Paris and an agreement with the Government of France, for two missions involving two French astronauts: the sixth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station and the Haven-1 test flight, the first crewed mission to Vast’s Haven-1 commercial space station scheduled to launch in 2027 at the Choose France Summit, created by the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron.

Strengthening France’s Human Spaceflight Role

The agreement helps ensure France can continue supporting low-Earth orbit missions while building on its experience in astronaut training and operational crewed spaceflight.

Pending review and approval by the International Space Station’s Multilateral Crew Operations Panel, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet is expected to serve as commander of a private astronaut mission to the International Space Station organized by Vast in partnership with NASA. The panel's decisions are made by consensus among all five International Space Station partners, including ESA, Roscosmos, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency.

Planned Missions to Commercial Space Stations

ESA reserve astronaut Arnaud Prost is expected to serve as a flight test engineer on the first crewed mission and flight acceptance test of Haven-1, which is being developed as the world's first commercial space station.

Both missions are planned for 2027 and are expected to last around two weeks, with transportation provided by SpaceX aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft launched on a Falcon 9 rocket.

Additional details are expected to be announced during the International Space Summit in Paris, an event introduced by Emmanuel Macron and scheduled for September 9–10.

Experienced Astronauts Leading the Missions.

French astronauts Thomas Pesquet and Arnaud Prost bring extensive aerospace, military, and spaceflight experience to the planned missions. Pesquet is a veteran of two International Space Station expeditions, the first French astronaut to command the station, and holds the European record for cumulative time spent in space. Prost, a flight test engineer and military pilot, recently completed ESA reserve astronaut training after being selected to the agency's astronaut reserve in 2022.

The missions will focus on scientific research, technology demonstrations, and educational outreach, including experiments from French industry and academic institutions. The program will also draw on the expertise of CNES, which has supported human spaceflight activities for more than four decades.

France Backs Commercial Space Station Missions with Vast.

By selecting Vast for these missions, France is supporting the development of commercial human spaceflight while expanding opportunities for research, innovation, and international cooperation aboard the International Space Station and Haven-1.

Additional crew members are expected to be announced later and may include professional astronauts from countries with diplomatic ties to France. Vast stated that the agreement reinforces its efforts to launch and operate Haven-1, which is currently being integrated at the company's headquarters in Long Beach ahead of a planned 2027 launch. The first crewed mission to Haven-1 is expected to follow shortly after deployment, while Vast's private astronaut mission to the International Space Station is scheduled for no earlier than summer 2027.