Meet the CEO who wants to replace the International Space Station
Max Haot, CEO of Vast.
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hello, future. it’s me, kev.
One of the best parts of hosting HELLO FUTURE (distributed on iHeart Media through Premiere Networks, right alongside The Breakfast Club and Ryan Seacrest) is getting to sit down with the people who are actually building the future instead of just talking about it. I’ve had the chance to interview some of the sharpest futurists and operators out there — the ones turning big ideas into hardware, timelines, and real capital deployment.
Max Haot, CEO of Vast, is firmly in that category. He’s one of those rare founders who has already scaled and sold multiple companies (Livestream, Mevo, Launcher) and is now all-in on the hardest problem in commercial space: replacing the International Space Station with something better, faster, and actually sustainable.
We just recorded a new episode, and it’s one you should hear if you care about where American leadership in space actually goes from here.
The Clock Is Ticking — Loudly
The ISS is scheduled to come down at the end of 2030. That’s not a rumor. It’s the plan. When it goes, the United States needs continuous human presence in low Earth orbit — or we hand a massive strategic and symbolic win to China, which already operates its own station.
Max’s message is blunt: the commercial path is the only one fast enough to avoid a gap. Vast has Haven-1 in integration and on track for a 2027 launch as the world’s first commercial space station. They’re targeting continuous crewed capability with Haven-2 by 2030. They’ve raised serious capital and are taking a hardware-rich, vertically integrated approach that prioritizes speed and cost discipline.
Why This Actually Matters
Look, I’ve been talking to people building the future across AI, energy, biotech, and space for a while now on HELLO FUTURE. The through-line is always the same: the winners are the ones who treat hard problems like engineering challenges instead of political footballs.
Space stations aren’t just about cool photos or national pride (though both matter). They’re about maintaining a foothold in orbit while we figure out how to go further. They’re about creating the demand signal that lets companies invest in the next generation of vehicles, life support, manufacturing in microgravity, and eventually artificial gravity. And yes — they’re about not ceding the high ground to a strategic competitor while we argue with ourselves.
Max Haot isn’t waiting around for perfect conditions. He’s building. Vast is building. The question is whether NASA and the broader system will move with the urgency the 2030 deadline demands.
If you want the full, unfiltered conversation, go listen to the latest episode of HELLO FUTURE on the iHeart app or wherever you get your podcasts. Max doesn’t sugarcoat anything — and that’s exactly why I keep having him back on the show.
The future isn’t going to build itself. But some people are already out there laying the groundwork.
With gratitude,
Kev