World’s first PRIVATE area station has queen-size beds

Growing up, many of us dream of one day venturing into space. 

But the reality of life on board the International Space Station (ISS) is much less glamorous than you’d think. 

As we recently found out when two NASA astronauts were stranded there, the ISS is extremely claustrophobic, with residents forced to sleep in phonebooth-sized bedrooms, use vacuum-powered toilets, and wear the same underwear for weeks on end. 

However, things are looking up for future space travellers, as the world’s first private space station has been unveiled ahead of its launch next year. 

Dubbed Haven-1, the space station is much more modern and spacious than the ISS, with queen-size beds, a state-of-the-art gym, and maple wood interiors. 

Haven-1 is the brainchild of US-based space firm, Vast, who teamed up with world-renowned designer, Peter Russell-Clarke, on the design. 

‘Astronauts living in zero gravity pose unique design challenges,’ said Mr Russell-Clarke, who has previously worked with Apple. 

‘Creating an environment that is both highly efficient and naturally comforting leads to totally new results. 

‘Haven-1 interiors are unprecedented, precisely engineered and sensitively designed to ensure its occupants thrive in space.’

From the outside, Haven-1 looks like any other spacecraft. 

However, the interior is much more warm and welcoming than the ISS, with maple wood interiors throughout. 

‘Notably, Haven-1’s interior surfaces are soft and padded to provide an added safety component for crew and visitors as they float throughout,’ Vast explained. 

The station’s four private crew quarters can be found above and below the main corridor, and offer astronauts a space to rest and recharge. 

‘Slightly larger than the crew quarters aboard the ISS, these expanded personal rooms are uniquely designed to allow for changing, entertainment, online communication with loved ones back on Earth (enabled by SpaceX Starlink connectivity), and, most importantly, a good night’s rest,’ Vast said. 

With no gravity to keep you horizontal, sleeping in space has posed a challenge to astronauts in the past. 

However, Vast hopes to tackle that issue with a patent-pending signature sleep system. 

‘[This] is roughly the size of a queen bed, provides a customized amount of equal pressure throughout the night, and accommodates side and back sleepers alike,’ the company explained. 

The main Common Area measures 24m³, and will serve as a multifunctional hub where the crew can eat, exercise, carry out laboratory experiments, and relax. 

A deployable table can be folded into the floor when not in use, while the astronauts will be able to gaze down at Earth through an expansive observation window. 

Meanwhile, astronauts will be able to keep active in the state-of-the-art gym, featuring a resistance band system.

‘The resistance band system in the Common Area has body and station anchors for customized exercise routines targeting bone, muscular, and cardiovascular fitness,’ Vast said. 

‘The system is capable of both linear and rotational resistance exercises, focusing on both upper and lower-body musculoskeletal health.’

Veteran NASA astronaut, Andrew Feustel, has logged over 225 days in space on the ISS, and played a critical role in advising Vast on the space station. 

‘From communication and connectivity, to private space and interacting with others aboard, to advancing human progress on Earth and beyond, every detail has been designed with the astronaut experience at the core of our work,’ Mr Feustel said. 

‘So much of our learning on ISS explores how living in microgravity affects the human body, both physically and psychologically — and one takeaway I’ve had is that intuitive design isn’t a luxury in that regard: it’s key to ensuring astronauts can work and live in space seamlessly. 

‘To see Haven-1’s design solve many of the challenges we faced aboard the ISS, and to use the progress we made there to ensure we can do this long-term while caring for ourselves is just extraordinary.’

While the cost to build Haven-1 has not been disclosed, Vast says it will have invested about $1 billion by the time the station launches.