The Future Belongs to All of Us: How Vast Space Is Expanding Access to the Stars

For most of modern history, space has been the domain of the elite: government astronauts, military pilots, billionaires. Even now, most humans see orbit as something distant, a realm for specialists, not citizens.

But something is shifting. Vast Space is part of a new wave of organizations reimagining what spaceflight could look like in this decade and beyond. Their vision isn’t about prestige or spectacle. It’s about building a future in which living and working in orbit is not a rare privilege, but a normal part of being human.

Designing for Belonging

Vast’s Haven-1 habitat is slated to be the world’s first commercial space station launched in partnership with SpaceX. But what sets it apart isn’t just the technology, it’s the philosophy behind it.

Instead of designing for bare-minimum survival or high-performance testing, Vast is building for comfort, usability, and long-term sustainability. Their goal is to make space livable, not just survivable.

This is a shift in mindset as much as engineering. It signals that space isn’t just a proving ground anymore. It’s becoming a place to just be.

Expanding the Archetype of the Astronaut

Historically, space has been synonymous with discipline, rigor, and sacrifice. But what happens when artists, teachers, researchers, and everyday explorers are given a window to the stars?

Vast’s work helps dissolve the boundary between "astronaut" and "human." It opens the door for more diverse types of minds, skills, and stories to enter orbit.

The democratization of space isn’t just a technological achievement. It’s a cultural one. It redefines who gets to carry the narrative of humanity forward into the cosmos.

Why This Moment Matters

Projects like Haven-1 are more than milestones in engineering. They are signs that the long arc of the spacefaring dream is bending toward inclusivity.

When we talk about becoming a multi-planetary species, we have to ask: which humans are we talking about? Vast Space helps ensure the answer isn’t limited to the few, but extended to the many.

They are building rooms in orbit for people like you and me.

A Commons in the Sky

The future belongs to all of us. Space should, too.

Vast is building toward a reality where space isn’t a trophy, it’s a territory of shared possibility. The more we design for access, comfort, and human flourishing beyond Earth, the more our species grows in wisdom and reach.

The stars are not a distant metaphor. They are the next neighborhood. And Vast is helping pave the way.

This video posted by CEO Max Haot is worth a watch if you haven't seen it yet.