Vast trims 4% of staff, cutting 46 jobs amid commercial space push
Space-station startup Vast dismissed 46 employees, roughly 4% of its workforce, citing performance issues as it readies its first commercial station.
Vast, the private venture founded in 2021 by crypto entrepreneur Jed McCaleb, announced the termination of 46 employees, amounting to roughly four percent of its headcount. A company spokesperson described the layoffs as part of a mid-year performance review, while also noting that the firm is actively back-filling roles and has 277 vacancies. The reductions come months after securing $500 million to fund its plan to debut Haven-1 on a SpaceX launch next year and later roll out the larger Haven-2 modular station by 2028.
Recent moves include expanding into satellite manufacturing and signing a partnership with the European Space Agency to send astronauts to the ISS. The layoffs occur amid ongoing uncertainty about NASA’s financing of next-generation commercial stations, after the agency withdrew a proposed post-ISS strategy in June.
Why it matters
The layoffs highlight the financial and operational pressures facing emerging commercial space companies.
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