This entrepreneur made billions on crypto. His next frontier is outer space

The Mojave Air and Space Port in California is home to a startup called Vast, which is building a commercial space station called Haven-1. The station is currently undergoing extreme pressure testing to ensure it can withstand the harsh conditions of space. Vast is racing against the clock to launch the world's first commercial space station, with a planned launch date of May 2026. The company was founded in 2021 by crypto entrepreneur Jed McCaleb, who has invested $1 billion in the startup. Vast is taking an accelerated approach to building the space station, with a focus on efficiency and speed. The company's CEO, Max Haot, believes that Vast can lap more established competitors by launching a prototype model before they even submit their final proposals. The space station is being built in a sprawling 190,000-square-foot factory in Long Beach, where engineers are working on various components, including a control moment gyroscope and exterior panels. Vast is at the forefront of a generational technological shift in the space industry, which is focused on launching space stations in a better, faster, and cheaper manner. The company's goal is to create a commercial space station that can be used for a variety of purposes, including low-gravity manufacturing and as a base for moon and Mars missions. If successful, Vast's space station could democratize access to space and pave the way for a new era of space exploration.