NASA taps Vast for sixth private crewed ISS mission targeting 2027

NASA has chosen Vast for its sixth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, with up to 14 days aboard and a launch no earlier than summer 2027 from Florida. Vast will propose four crew members for NASA and international partner review, train with NASA and SpaceX, and fly under SpaceX as the launch provider. NASA will buy mission services including crew consumables, cargo delivery, storage, and in‑orbit resources, and will also procure the ability to return cold-stored scientific samples to Earth. The selection, from proposals in response to a 2025 NASA Research Announcement, underscores NASA’s push to grow a commercial low-Earth-orbit economy and advance research ahead of Artemis.