The new division, known as Vast Satellite, will produce a new line of high-power satellite buses designed for demanding orbital missions. The company’s first platform will be a 15kW-class satellite bus capable of supporting a broad range of power-intensive payloads through flexible mission configurations.
The move marks a significant strategic shift for Vast, which has primarily focused on developing next-generation commercial space stations and orbital infrastructure. The company said the satellite platforms will draw heavily on technologies already developed for its planned Haven-1 space station and validated during the successful Haven Demo mission in 2025.
According to Vast, the satellite buses will utilise common in-house systems spanning avionics, power, communications, propulsion and flight software. The company believes the shared architecture, combined with vertically integrated manufacturing and advanced production systems, will allow it to reduce costs, accelerate development timelines and improve mission reliability.
Vast CEO Max Haot said the company’s experience developing large-scale spacecraft positioned it strongly within the growing high-power satellite sector.
“We believe Vast is uniquely positioned to compete in the high-power satellite market through the combination of our engineering capability, manufacturing scale and the on-orbit success of Haven Demo,” Haot said.
He added that customers would gain access to flexible spacecraft platforms backed by operational experience in designing, building and operating flight-proven spacecraft systems.
The company also revealed it has already secured its first customer, signing an agreement for four satellites with an unnamed client. The deal also includes options for up to 200 additional spacecraft.
The earlier Haven Demo mission played a critical role in validating the technologies now underpinning the new satellite line. Led by Jim Martz, the spacecraft operated as an orbital testbed for key systems intended for future space station and satellite applications.
Following a successful mission profile in 2025, Haven Demo completed a controlled deorbit on 4 February 2026, after validating avionics, power systems and flight software in orbit. Those same systems are expected to form the technological backbone of Vast’s future high-power satellites.
Martz, who previously led satellite engineering teams for SpaceX Starshield and Muon Space, said the mission provided valuable operational data and confirmed the maturity of the company’s core spacecraft technologies.
“The mission demonstrated these systems in the operational environment they were designed for and provided important flight heritage for our future platforms,” Martz said.
Vast said the new satellite business complements its broader long-term ambition of building the infrastructure required to sustain a permanent human presence in low-Earth orbit while supporting future exploration missions to the moon and Mars.
The company is currently targeting a late 2027 launch for an initial batch of 10 of its 15kW-class satellites.
Vast is also continuing development of its multi-module Haven Station architecture, with Haven-1 expected to become the world’s first commercial space station when it launches in 2027.
The company said the broader Haven program is intended to support advanced microgravity research, in-space manufacturing and a new commercial orbital economy serving government, corporate and private sector customers.
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