Vast Acquires Launcher to Accelerate Space Station Development

Space station company Vast has acquired startup Launcher as the company seeks to accelerate its mission of expanding humanity across the solar system by developing long-term human habitation in space.

Vast is currently building an artificial gravity station with significantly more volume than the International Space Station in low Earth orbit, and with the addition of Launcher, the company hopes to advance its capabilities in spacecraft technologies and in-house advanced manufacturing.

With the acquisition of Launcher, Vast has added approximately 80 employees to their existing workforce of 40. Furthermore, Vast now has access to Launcher's Orbiter satellite "space tug" and the E-2 liquid rocket engine, both of which are currently in the developmental stages.

Launcher, founded in 2017 by Max Haot, is based in Hawthorne, California, and its team members are joining forces with Vast's fast-growing team as part of the acquisition. The combined team of over 120 employees will occupy the recently announced 115,000 square-foot Vast headquarters in Long Beach later this year.

Vast's new president, Max Haot, will oversee the Orbiter, E-2, and space station programs, as well as the engineering, manufacturing, marketing, finance, and facilities teams. With Launcher's Orbiter space tug and hosted payload platform, Vast plans to reach orbit this year to develop and test its on-orbit space station components and subsystems.

While Vast will continue the Orbiter space tug and hosted payload products, as well as the staged combustion rocket engine E-2, the company will focus on liquid rocket engine products instead of developing its own launch vehicle. Orbiter will continue to support current and future payload customers.

According to Max Haot, "joining the Vast team allows us to work with an incredible team of experienced engineering professionals currently at Vast and further pursue and develop our products and technologies to date." Meanwhile, Vast's founder and CEO, Jed McCaleb, is looking forward to joining forces with Launcher to accelerate the quest to make commercial space habitation a reality.

ABOUT VAST 

Vast is a pioneer in space habitation technologies focused on expanding humanity across the solar system. Founded in 2021, the company is assembling a world-class team to build the world’s first low-cost, artificial gravity station so people can live and work in space for long periods of time without the permanent side effects of zero-gravity.‍

Vast’s 100m long space station can house a population of 40+. The station spins to provide Earth gravity at its outer extremities and partial gravity along its length for Mars, Moon, and asteroid analog environments.

ABOUT LAUNCHER 

Founded in 2017, Launcher develops rocket engines and transfer vehicles to deliver small satellites to orbit. Orbiter, Launcher’s orbital transfer vehicle and satellite platform, is uniquely compatible with third-party rideshare launch vehicles. With Orbiter, Launcher offers rideshare launch services to tailored orbits that best meet a spacecraft customer’s mission needs. Launcher is headquartered in Hawthorne, California. 

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