Haven Demo: Rideshare as a Test Bed for Future Crewed Spaceflight

Vast is pioneering the development of next-generation space stations, beginning with the uncrewed Haven Demo mission in 2025, followed by the launch of Haven-1, the first commercial crewed space station, in 2026. Haven Demo is an on-orbit test bed to validate and gather data for Haven-1 ahead of flight. This paper examines the benefits of an orbital test bed like Haven Demo to future crewed spaceflight missions for system validation and reliability. It covers the many tests and risk reduction activities planned for Haven Demo, including computing, communications, GNC, environmental exposure, mission control, and propulsion. In addition, Haven Demo provides the opportunity to demonstrate spinning for future artificial gravity implementation.