SpaceX Just Launched the First Private Station Pathfinder!

“SpaceX Just Launched the First Private Station Pathfinder!”
SpaceX has launched Haven Demo, a pathfinder built by Vast Space, on the Bandwagon-4 rideshare mission—an important milestone on the road to the first standalone private space station. Riding a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral, Haven Demo will test propulsion, flight computers, and navigation software for Haven-1, which targets a 2026 launch to low Earth orbit. The Falcon 9 first stage returned to Landing Zone-2, while the upper stage deployed 18 payloads, including Haven Demo. Why does this matter? It marks the shift from government-only labs to commercial orbital destinations that could host research, manufacturing, and private astronaut missions. In this video, we explain what Haven Demo will prove, how SpaceX’s cadence and reusability make it possible, and why Haven-1 could jump-start a new space economy. If you care about the future of living and working in orbit, this is the story to watch.
Reference:
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launches-private-space-station-pathfinder-haven-demo-17-other-satellites-to-orbit