ESA and Vast sign an agreement for the post-International Space Station era
· BehindLines newsroom
What will Europe do in orbit once the International Space Station (ISS) is retired? The European Space Agency (ESA) signed a memorandum of understanding in early October 2026 with the US company Vast, which is developing the Haven commercial station. ESA's release is numbered 61 of 2026 and dated 5 October; its republication by a press-release distribution service is dated the 6th.
A framework, not yet a contract
The text replaces a first memorandum signed at the ILA air show in Berlin in June 2024. Its initial term is three years. It starts with a joint feasibility study meant to produce a roadmap and an indicative schedule for any binding agreements. It is therefore not a procurement contract: the release mentions no amount.
What the memorandum covers
It covers possible future ESA astronaut missions to Haven, possible ESA hardware or infrastructure contributions, and ESA's use of the station: jointly defined research campaigns, dedicated science facilities, cargo capacity to and from the station, and crew time to keep research going between missions. It also provides for exchanges on possible future European cargo and crew vehicles that could service Haven.
Four missions already in preparation
The release says ESA and Vast are already collaborating on four crewed missions to the ISS and Haven-1, planned for 2027, including the first crewed mission to Haven-1. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher recalls that the ISS remains one of the greatest examples of international cooperation in space. Vast CEO Max Haot says Haven is being designed so that ESA, its astronauts and its scientists keep access to low Earth orbit. Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA's Director of Human and Robotic Exploration, stresses the need to anticipate the end of the ISS cooperation.
Whether the study leads to binding agreements remains to be seen: that is the next step to watch.