VAST Welcomes NASA Astronaut as Human Spaceflight Advisor

Ibadan, 13 July 2023. – Vast has announced the appointment of Garrett Reisman, a veteran NASA astronaut, as its newest advisor. With an impressive background in space exploration and extensive industry experience, Reisman brings invaluable expertise and strategic human spaceflight insights to Vast.

After his NASA selection as a mission specialist astronaut in 1998, Reisman flew on all three Space Shuttles. He first flew aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in 2008 for a 95-day stay on the International Space Station (ISS), after which he returned to Earth aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. Likewise, his second mission in 2010 was aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Reisman performed three spacewalks during these missions, operated the ISS’s Mobile Servicing System (MSS), and was a flight engineer aboard the Space Shuttle.

Following his departure from NASA in early 2011, Reisman joined SpaceX, serving in multiple capacities, most recently as the Director of Space Operations. He also became a Professor of Astronautical Engineering at the Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California.

Reisman said about the appointment, “I am glad to join Vast as an advisor and contribute my expertise to their goals of expanding humanity across the solar system with artificial gravity space stations. The Vast team is well-equipped to meet the needs of the growing in-space economy with a particular focus on the challenges, rewards, and safety considerations of human spaceflight.”

Likewise, founder and CEO of Vast, Jed McCaleb, said Reisman’s “unparalleled human spaceflight and industry expertise will undoubtedly prove invaluable to Vast’s mission, especially about safety and mission assurance needed to operate a private crewed space station.”

As an advisor, Garrett Reisman will play a critical role in Vast’s strategic planning and growth, providing invaluable perspectives on human spaceflight, safety, and mission assurance.