France Partners With Vast to Send Pesquet and Prost to Space in 2027

Overview

• President Emmanuel Macron and Vast announced on Monday that veteran astronaut Thomas Pesquet and reserve astronaut Arnaud Prost will fly on two separate Vast missions in 2027.
• Vast says each mission will last about two weeks and will use SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets with Crew Dragon capsules for crew transport.
• Vast has said Pesquet is expected to serve as commander on the ISS‑bound flight but that final approval rests with the ISS operations committee made up of international partners.
• Arnaud Prost will make his first spaceflight to Vast's Haven‑1 commercial station, a prototype the company plans as a precursor to a larger Haven‑2 intended to follow the ISS era.
• The deal includes a European presence for Vast in Paris and has drawn support for boosting French access to low Earth orbit as well as criticism over growing dependence on U.S. launch systems and private crypto‑linked financing.