Launcher (VAST)

Launcher Inc. was a US launch vehicle startup founded in 2017 by Max Haot and headquartered in Hawthorne, California, developing the Launcher Light — a small orbital rocket designed to deliver up to 150 kg to LEO using a single 3D-printed E-2 kerosene/oxygen engine. The company developed and tested the E-2 engine, which used a full-flow staged combustion cycle — one of the most efficient rocket engine architectures, also used by SpaceX's Raptor engine. In 2023, Launcher was acquired by VAST Space, a commercial space station startup founded by Jared Isaacman, and the company's team and Hawthorne facilities were redirected toward building Haven-1 — VAST's first commercial space station — which launched to the ISS in May 2025 as the first commercial space station module in history. Launcher's propulsion and manufacturing expertise contributed directly to Haven-1's development.