France has signed a two-mission agreement with US space company Vast to send French astronauts to both the International Space Station (ISS) and Haven-1, a privately developed space station scheduled to launch in 2027.
The agreement, announced during the Choose France Summit in Paris, endorses Haven-1, which Vast hopes will become the world’s first commercial space station.
Under the agreement, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet is expected to fly on Vast’s sixth private astronaut mission to the ISS, while ESA reserve astronaut Arnaud Prost is intended to serve as a flight test engineer on the first crewed mission to Haven-1.
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Both flights are planned for 2027 and are expected to last around two weeks.
Transportation will be provided by SpaceX using a Dragon spacecraft launched on a Falcon 9 rocket.
The announcement is a significant milestone in the transition from publicly funded orbital laboratories to privately owned ones as governments prepare for the eventual retirement of the International Space Station at the end of the decade.
Haven-1 is designed to support research, technology demonstrations and private astronaut missions, and serve as a precursor to Vast’s larger station ambitions – including a rotating station that would generate gravity for the people on board.
Vast’s chief executive Max Haot says: "This agreement reinforces Vast’s commitment to launch and operate the world’s first commercial space station.
"We are honoured that France selected Vast for these historic missions."
