NEWS

Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation (JAMSS) is pleased to announce that our partner, Vast, has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for research opportunities on Haven-1, scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station.

Haven-1, the world’s first commercial space station © Vast

In March 2025, JAMSS signed a Payload Partner Agreement with Vast to support utilization services for Haven-1 and plans to deploy our multi-purpose payload locker KLABOX on board the station. As the first payload partner in Asia, JAMSS is committed to creating an environment that enables researchers and industry users to easily pursue space based research.
This release provides an overview of the newly announced RFP.

■ Original RFP (Vast Official Website)
Details and application procedures are available here:

Please refer to Vast’s official website for the latest requirements, submission guidelines, and technical conditions.

■ About Haven-1, The World’s First Commercial Space Station
Haven-1 is a human centered, commercially operated crewed space station and Vast’s proving ground for a continuously crewed station. The onboard Haven-1 Lab will provide microgravity research capabilities supporting a wide range of fields, including:
・Healthcare and pharmaceuticals
・Advanced materials and manufacturing
・Biotechnology
・Scientific experiments and more
Haven-1 will be launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, and crew will be transported via the Dragon spacecraft.

Haven-1 Lab © Vast

■ Who Should Apply
The RFP is well suited for researchers and organizations who have a well-developed investigation or technology demonstration, but who need support connecting with a payload provider or conducting human research in space.
If you already intend to use KLABOX, it is more efficient to contact JAMSS directly without going through the RFP .

■ Scope of Research Proposals
The RFP invites proposals for:
• Research using experiment hardware and facilities on Haven-1, including KLABOX
• Research concepts for future opportunities on other orbital platforms such as the ISS
Eligible research areas include life sciences, physical sciences, technology demonstrations, biology/biotechnology, and STEM education activities (proposals for promotional purposes only are not accepted).

KLABOX, the multi-purpose payload locker planned for installation in the Haven-1 Lab

■Funding Support
Applicants are responsible for securing their own research funding. This RFP is open to both applicants who already have funding and those who plan to apply. Although Vast does not directly provide funding, it supports researchers by helping them identify potential opportunities.

■ Applicant Eligibility
Applicants must be affiliated with one of the following:
• For profit or non profit organizations
• Universities or accredited higher education institutions
• Government research institutes or publicly funded R&D centers
• Researchers, scientists, and engineers and future Vast space stations
Individuals and unincorporated sole proprietors are not eligible.
No prior experience in space research is required.

■ Submission Deadline
Proposals are received and evaluated on a rolling basis. However, proposals intending to launch on the Haven-1 module are due on February 15, 2026.


Haven-1 represents a new era in commercial space stations. Leveraging decades of human spaceflight expertise, JAMSS will continue working to create an environment that enables researchers and companies in Japan to explore new possibilities in space utilization.


About Vast
Vast is developing next-generation space stations to ensure continuous human presence in space, enabling advanced microgravity research and manufacturing, and unlocking a new space economy for government, corporate, and private customers. Using an incremental, hardware-rich and low-cost approach, Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station. Haven Demo’s 2025 success made Vast the only operational commercial space station company to fly and operate its own spacecraft. Next, Haven-1 is expected to become the world’s first commercial space station when it launches in 2026, followed by additional Haven modules to enable permanent human presence by 2030.