Sierra Space vs Vast: Stations & habitats (orbital) compared

November 2026 edition · assessment by Frontier Tech Intelligence

Sierra Space ranks 45 on the Space 100 with a score of 75; Vast ranks 51 with 74. Sierra Space is ahead on production, commercials, positioning and leverage. Vast is ahead on deployment and firepower. Level on progress and technology. Sierra Space is based in Louisville, United States, Vast in Long Beach, United States. Sierra Space: Established. Vast: Private, founded 2021. Sierra Space is named in 19 signals and Vast in 76.

Sierra Space →

Louisville, Colorado, United States · Space · Infrastructure / Stations & habitats (orbital) · Established · sierraspace.com

Sierra Space develops and manufactures spacecraft platforms including the reusable Dream Chaser orbital vehicle and satellites for SDA missile-warning and missile-defense programs.

Space 100 · rank 45 · score 75

Scores, Space (of 10)

Deployment6
Production8
Commercials6
Progress9
Technology8
Positioning8
Firepower8
Leverage6

Darker bar: ahead of the other company on that measure.

Positioning

Sierra Space is a US space company whose operating engine is now defense manufacturing: an SDA Tranche 2 award ($740M/18 missile-warning satellites, first structures completed early), a new $798M AMDT3 award (July 2026, 18 more Tranche 3 tracking satellites for Golden Dome), and a classified $450M intelligence contract. A new CEO (ex-Maxar Dan Jablonsky, February 2026) is converting it into a high-rate manufacturer, while its Dream Chaser was downgraded (NASA CRS-2 modified, first flight now a free-flyer demo with ISS docking cancelled). It raised a $550M Series C in March 2026 (>$1.4B cumulative, a $5.3B 2023 valuation).

Latest signals

  • Sierra Space’s Ghost cargo vehicle completed a 90-minute delivery from 68,500 feet.Interesting Engineering
  • Sierra Space signed national security and commercial customers for Dream Chaser’s first orbital mission.SpaceNews
  • L3Harris Technologies and Sierra Space won $1.75 billion to build 36 missile-tracking satellites.SpaceNews

19 signals name Sierra Space.

Facts, with sources

  • National-security and commercial customersSpaceNews
  • National-security and commercial customers signed for Dream Chaser’s first orbital missionSpaceNews
  • Inaugural Dream Chaser flight carrying national security, civil and commercial payloadsSpaceNews

34 facts on file.

Vast →

Long Beach, California, United States · Space · Infrastructure / Stations & habitats (orbital) · Private · founded 2021 · www.vastspace.com

Vast is developing and operating commercial orbital space stations, including Haven-1 and the planned Haven-2, with facilities for astronaut missions, biotech experiments, and plant-growth research.

Space 100 · rank 51 · score 74

Scores, Space (of 10)

Deployment8
Production6
Commercials5
Progress9
Technology8
Positioning6
Firepower10
Leverage4

Darker bar: ahead of the other company on that measure.

Positioning

Vast is a US commercial-space-station company (founder Jed McCaleb self-funding at multi-hundred-million scale) whose Haven Demo pathfinder succeeded in orbit (November 2025, power-positive) and whose Haven-1 flight structure is complete, with ~800 staff and near-everything in-house. It is the speed play of the station race (concept to orbital pathfinder in about 30 months), still positioned to be the first standalone commercial station, though its launch slipped to no earlier than Q1-2027. Haven-1 will host four crew over a three-year life, with the NASA CLD Phase 2 2026 decision as its existential catalyst. It is pre-revenue.

Latest signals

  • VAST open-sourced EdenLive, a real-time model for rendering detailed game footage.Pandaily
  • Family offices are seeking late-stage exposure to deals involving Zipline, Vast, and Atoms.All-In Podcast
  • Vast establishes Lunar Programs division to support NASA lunar initiativesVia Satellite

76 signals name Vast.

Facts, with sources

  • Haven-1 station launch planned for early 2027SpaceNews
  • Haven-1 station launchSpaceNews
  • Haven-1 station set to launch in early 2027SpaceNews

85 facts on file.

More comparisons

Questions this page answers

Sierra Space or Vast: which is ahead in space?

Sierra Space ranks 45 on the Space 100 with a score of 75; Vast ranks 51 with 74. Sierra Space is ahead on production, commercials, positioning and leverage. Vast is ahead on deployment and firepower. Level on progress and technology. Sierra Space is based in Louisville, United States, Vast in Long Beach, United States. Sierra Space: Established. Vast: Private, founded 2021. Sierra Space is named in 19 signals and Vast in 76.

How do Sierra Space and Vast compare?

Sierra Space ranks 45 on the Space 100 with a score of 75; Vast ranks 51 with 74. Sierra Space is ahead on production, commercials, positioning and leverage. Vast is ahead on deployment and firepower. Level on progress and technology. Sierra Space is based in Louisville, United States, Vast in Long Beach, United States. Sierra Space: Established. Vast: Private, founded 2021. Sierra Space is named in 19 signals and Vast in 76. Both company files carry the scores on eight measures, the facts with sources and the latest signals.

Every comparison here comes from the same files members use every day.

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