Dark horse space station company Vasto has overtaken its rivals with a big announcement about astronauts.
In the race to build a new space station to replace the aging International Space Station (ISS), two teams stand out.
Orbital Reef was one of the first projects to venture into the ring. blue origin and backed by billionaires jeff bezos Including our partner Sierra Space. red wire (R.D.W. 7.15%), boeingand Amazon.com.
Its biggest rival, Star Labs, boasts the largest and best funding. most international A team that includes companies in voyager technologies (Voig 4.20%)lead the project, hilton worldwide, Janus Henderson Group, Leidos, Northrop Grummanand Palantir US and international partners MDA space, airbusand mitsubishi.
Image source: Getty Images.
It is likely that one of these two teams will build the first project, as they have the largest team and the most financial power. private land Space Station — But don’t rule out the dark horse. There are two other “teams” running, but each is running alone and each has its own advantages. Privately held Axiom Space, for example, has already sent its astronauts to the ISS for training on four separate occasions to develop the skills needed to operate its own space station. A fifth similar mission is scheduled to take place next year.
And now Vasto, the final candidate for the ISS, is about to send a team to the ISS for the first time ever.
ISS or bust?
Sometime in the summer of 2027, a large team of up to four astronauts will depart on a SpaceX rocket and spend “up to 14 days on the space station,” according to NASA. The company’s CEO, Max Haot, said these training missions form “an important part of the transition to a commercial space station and the full unlocking of the orbital economy.”
Vasto said in a statement that the mission “strengthens Vasto’s position as a candidate to deliver the space station’s successor, the multi-module, continuously crewed spacecraft Haven 2.”
However, neither leader has fulfilled a similar mission. Axiom does, and soon Vast will too.
Vast has a second advantage over its rivals. Last year, the company launched an experimental Haven Demo satellite, making it its “only operational satellite.” commercial space station company The idea is to fly and operate your own spacecraft. ” (Emphasis added because individual partners in the Orbital Reef and Starlab teams, such as Boeing and Airbus, have flown their own spacecraft, namely commercial space stations. team They technically don’t do that).
still.
To fully consolidate its lead, Vasto must deliver not only on the ISS astronaut mission, but also on larger commitments to launch space station Haven-1 in 2027 and enough subsequent modules to make Haven-1 permanently habitable by 2030.
Indeed, the ISS is expected to cease operations in 2030 Then go to Kerplunk This is the same target date that almost everyone looking to replace the ISS should aim for.
Results for investors
Competition to replace the ISS remains open. If you want to own a piece of the winners, the only public shares currently available are from the teams at Orbital Reef and Star Labs.
Invest accordingly.