Vast unveils custom flight suits and Swiss watch for Haven-1 private station crews

Vast, the company racing to deploy the first commercial space station, has introduced a purpose-built two-piece astronaut flight suit and certified a custom Swiss wristwatch for its upcoming Haven-1 outpost. The move breaks from recent ISS practice, where American crews have drifted toward off-the-shelf casual clothing as the orbital environment matured into something closer to a standard workplace.

Lead astronaut Drew Feustel, a former NASA mission specialist, helped shape the suit’s design and framed it as a nod to aviation heritage rather than a functional necessity. The gear is intended to be worn on the ground and in orbit, signaling that Vast wants its commercial crews to carry a distinct visual identity from day one.

The reference point is the 1959 Mercury Seven photo in front of an F-106, where pilots wore a patchwork of military-issued gear. That image directly prompted NASA to standardize on its now-iconic blue flight suit, and Vast is leaning on the same symbolic playbook to establish brand continuity for private spaceflight.