{"title":"Sierra Space vs Vast: Stations & habitats (orbital) compared","url":"https://www.frontiertechintelligence.com/compare/sierra-space-vs-vast","comparison":"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.","companies":[{"name":"Sierra Space","url":"https://www.frontiertechintelligence.com/companies/sierra-space","city":"Louisville","country":"United States","stage":"Established","founded":null,"last_round":null,"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).","assessed_in":{"domain":"Space","list":"Space 100","rank":45,"score":75,"tier":"member","scores":{"gate_ne":["firepower"],"leverage":6,"position":8,"progress":9,"firepower":8,"commercial":6,"deployment":6,"production":8,"technology":8},"why":"Sierra Space develops and manufactures spacecraft platforms including the reusable Dream Chaser orbital vehicle and satellites for SDA missile-warning and missile-defense programs.","segment":"Stations & habitats (orbital)","layer":"Infrastructure"},"signals_total":19,"facts_total":34},{"name":"Vast","url":"https://www.frontiertechintelligence.com/companies/vast","city":"Long Beach","country":"United States","stage":"Private","founded":2021,"last_round":null,"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.","assessed_in":{"domain":"Space","list":"Space 100","rank":51,"score":74,"tier":"member","scores":{"leverage":4,"position":6,"progress":9,"firepower":10,"commercial":5,"deployment":8,"production":6,"technology":8},"why":"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.","segment":"Stations & habitats (orbital)","layer":"Infrastructure"},"signals_total":76,"facts_total":85}],"note":"Assessment by Frontier Tech Intelligence; facts and signals carry their sources."}