Rich Leshner

Dad of 2. Space geek. Enjoyer of single malts. Occasional biker. Opinions are my own.

[Vast @vast]

A historic partnership dedicated to advancing commercial human spaceflight. Thank you to France, @EmmanuelMacron, @CNES for your leadership, and to @ESA for its support as we work together toward two crewed missions in 2027.

Photo taken at Choose France 2026 event on June 1, 2026, in Versailles, Paris, with @AschbacherJosef, @arno_astro, @Thom_astro, @LionelSuchet, @maxhaot, and Giorgio Saccoccia.

Announcement blog post: https://t.co/fGuHouoOMR

[Josef Aschbacher @AschbacherJosef]

🇫🇷 A remarkable moment for French and European human spaceflight. The announcement of two new missions for French astronauts with @vast reflect both the ambition of our Member States and the strength of the @ESA astronaut corps.

Human spaceflight is more than ever strategic, scientific and inspirational. ESA stands ready to support with its expertise.

Congrats to @Thom_astro and @Arno_astro!

[Max Haot @maxhaot]

Thank you, Mr. President.

We are proud to establish our European headquarters in France and honored by France’s trust in @Vast.

Thank you to @CNES, @Thom_astro, @Arno_astro, @LionelSuchet, @AschbacherJosef and @esa for your partnership as we work together to advance the future of human spaceflight.

[Rich Leshner @RBLeshner]

It is an honor to be selected be France for these missions, including the first announced customer for Haven-1! Go Vast! Go CNES! Go Haven!

[Vast @vast]

🇫🇷 Today at Choose France, President @EmmanuelMacron announced a historic agreement with Vast for 2 astronaut missions: @Thom_astro to the International Space Station and @Arno_astro to Haven-1. Vast will also establish its European Headquarters in Paris. https://t.co/zOGyyruJwN

[Vast @vast]

Commemorating Haven Demo’s success.

We installed an aluminum plaque in our Mission Control Center to mark the success of Haven Demo. The plaque is made from the same material as our Haven-1 space station structure. We plan to celebrate our upcoming missions with similar plaques.

[Vast @vast]

Our Vast Satellite was featured in @Via_Satellite, highlighting how we’re diversifying our products and building satellite buses with subsystems that were validated by the success of Haven Demo. https://t.co/GGBh0Sj4P2

[Vast @vast]

With our new satellite buses, we plan to offer an optional @nvidia Space-1 Vera Rubin Module that can support orbital data center inferencing needs, AI edge compute, advanced signal processing applications, and autonomous space operations. https://t.co/JdDMrLykb5

[Vast @vast]

https://t.co/wn4jrpIIU6

[Vast @vast]

Our CEO, @MaxHaot, joined @kevcirilli on the “Hello Future” podcast to discuss the future of the space industry and how Vast’s hardware-rich, vertically integrated approach is designed to enable a continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit. https://t.co/JkFq0nPrZA

[Vast @vast]

The Vast Control Unit (VCU), our flight computer, is ready for testing in the semi-anechoic chamber at Vast HQ. These tests will confirm the VCU won't cause electromagnetic interference with other systems on Haven-1, scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station.

[Rich Leshner @RBLeshner]

The dedication to getting the most out of each step and relentlessly applying lessons learned to the next one in the journey is part of what makes Vast such a thrilling place to be!

[Vast @vast]

Vast is ready to support a continuous presence in space for the US and its allies. Through our hardware-rich, stepping-stone approach to building next-generation space stations, we validate our systems early to ensure readiness, starting with the success of Haven Demo.

[Vast @vast]

Our HQ in Long Beach, Calif., was featured by @FastCompany. @DianaBudds spoke with Chief Marketing and Design Officer @Hillarycoe to discuss the importance of human-centric design, shaping everything we build from space stations to our offices. https://t.co/ipHUtQwSv5

[Vast @vast]

Vast has signed an MOU with Innovation Agency Lithuania. The collaboration will explore joint microgravity research and deepen local Lithuanian industry engagement to advance global access to space. https://t.co/P4B9jLUobM

[Vast @vast]

The Vast Astronaut Flight Suit and the @IWC Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive tool watch were featured in @arstechnica, highlighting how each piece was developed for utility, comfort, and functionality during spaceflight. https://t.co/MOBlSVQ5Je

[Vast @vast]

Lead Astronaut @astro_feustel and Vast CEO @MaxHaot gave @NBCNews' @GadiNBC a tour of our Long Beach HQ, showcasing how we’re building space stations in-house to enable a low-cost, sustainable path for continued human presence in low-Earth orbit for the US and its allies. https://t.co/mvodwwriKW

[Vast @vast]

Vast joined industry leaders at the @NYSE Space Summit with @payloadspace. CEO @maxhaot discussed the future of commercial space stations and how they are ensuring America’s continued presence in low-Earth orbit.

[Vast @vast]

Retired NASA astronaut and U.S. Navy Captain @astro_suni will join Vast as an Astronaut Advisor. With 608 days in space, 62+ hrs of spacewalks, Williams has also held key NASA leadership roles serving as Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office and Commander of multiple expeditions. https://t.co/xcfaJmVwRo

[Vast @vast]

Thank you to Congressman @RepBrianBabin for supporting NASA’s commercial partnerships. These efforts are unlocking some of America’s most ambitious space programs. Congressional leadership, in partnership with @NASA, is driving America’s vision for our future in space. https://t.co/qEMeTFMVd1

[Vast @vast]

This week at the @SpaceFoundation's #SpaceSymposium, we hosted space agencies, partners, and industry leaders at the Vast booth and Haven-1 Experience, a full-scale model of our space station launching in 2027.

[Vast @vast]

Announcing Vast’s strategic collaboration with Cedars-Sinai, home of the Center for Space Medicine Research, on a range of biomedical research initiatives. Haven-1, scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station, will also host a Cedars-Sinai experiment with Exobiosphere. https://t.co/6rWuMEn0Vn