Vast Acquires Rocket Engine Firm to Accelerate the Development of its first Space Habitat with Artificial gravity in space before 2030

If we must spread life across the solar system, we need advanced technologies to attain such a milestone. The International Space Station has given us the idea of living outside Earth for the first time. But as the ISS heads to retire in the early 2030s, companies are emerging with futuristic space station ideas that will replace the International Space station and continue human exploration in space. Vast, an American space company is one of these firms working toward creating an impact with its habitat with artificial gravity in space.

The firm recently acquired Launcher, another space company to boost its growth in building the first space habitat with artificial gravity in space before 2030. What are Vast’s future goals and objectives for this acquisition? Continue reading to find out.

Why Vast Acquired Launcher

With the beginning of NASA’s Artemis space missions, everyone could see that we were about to embrace another phase of space exploration. Vast is a company hoping to be part of the new age of space exploration. The company announced on its website that it acquired Launcher to boost its mission goals of expanding humanity across the solar system and building long-term human habitation in space.

Vast is currently building a habitat with artificial gravity in space with more volume than the International Space Station in low Earth orbit. The company also has other advanced in-space products which it will collaborate with customers from around the world to achieve success. The customers that Vast will be partnering with include the U.S. government, commercial sectors, and other international governments and organizations.

Vast is planning to take advantage of this acquisition in accelerating in-house advanced manufacturing and advancing its spacecraft technologies. The company will also take advantage of Launcher’s Orbiter space tug and hosted payload platform in reaching orbit this year. This implies that Vast will be going to orbit before the end of 2023 to test its on-orbit space station components and subsystems. The outcome of this mission will determine how fast the company will move in completing its artificial gravity space habitat in space.

What you should know about Launcher

Launcher is an American space company founded in 2017 by Max Haot. It is headquartered in Hawthorne, California, and has over 120 employees. Launcher focuses on developing rocket engines and transfer vehicles to transport small satellites to orbits. The company built a sophisticated orbital transfer vehicle named Orbiter which has performed exceedingly well. This Launcher’s orbital transfer vehicle and satellite platform are very compatible with third-party rideshare launch space vehicles.

Launcher uses Orbiter to provide rideshare launch services to orbits and meet customers’ mission requirements. With this acquisition by Vast, Launcher’s team and its entire technologies will be collapsed into Vast growing team to accelerate the company’s growth. The joint team of the two companies will take over the 115,000-square-foot Vast headquarters in Long Beach before the end of 2023.

How Vast Will Take Over from Where Launcher Stopped and build Space Habitat with Artificial gravity in space

As the acquisition is completed, Vast will take over the Orbiter space tug and hosted payload products with its staged combustion rocket engine E-2. The company will concentrate on advancing liquid rocket engine products instead of building its own launch space vehicle. Vast hopes that the Orbiter will continue to support its latest and future payload customers.

Max Haot, the founder of the just-acquired Launcher will be joining Vast as the company’s President to boost its goals and objectives. Hoat’s new role will mandate him to monitor the Orbiter, E-2, and other space station programs. He will also oversee the manufacturing, engineering, marketing, and financing of the company. As a President, Haot will be required to facilitate teams and ensure that they are progressing.

“Our Launcher team jumped at the chance to join Jed’s vision of moving beyond Earth and advancing humanity’s exploration of space,” said Max Haot, Founder & CEO at Launcher, and now President at Vast. “By joining the Vast team, we can work with an incredible team of experienced engineering professionals currently at Vast and further pursue and develop our products and technologies to date, including our Orbiter space tug and hosted payload products as well as our high-performance staged combustion rocket engine, E-2. Our investors, customers, and partners are also in full support and excited for what’s next.”

The CEO of Vast also commented on the latest merging.

“The Vast team will be greatly enhanced by combining with the talented and driven people at Launcher. We have all been extremely impressed with what they have achieved so far. Speed of execution is a critical element of our mission and Launcher has shown that this is in their DNA. We are really looking forward to joining forces to accelerate our quest to make commercial space habitation a reality.” says Jed McCaleb, Founder & CEO of Vast.  

Conclusion

The acquisition of Launcher by Vast will boost the company’s goal of building futuristic space stations for humans before the next decade. While other companies are making plans to build space stations that will replace the International Space Station, Vast is already thinking about the future with its artificial gravity space habitat. We hope to see the company achieve its goals and objectives before the end of this decade. What do you think about this acquisition?

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