PAM-6
Artists' impression of a Crew Dragon approaching the forward port of Harmony on the ISS. | |
| Mission type | Private spaceflight to the ISS |
|---|---|
| Operator | |
| Mission duration | up to 14 days (planned) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Crew Dragon |
| Manufacturer | SpaceX |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 4 |
| Members |
|
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | NET 2027 |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Docking with ISS | |
Vast missions | |
SpaceX Vast PAM-6 (provisional name, Private Astronaut Mission-6) is a crewed spaceflight mission of the Crew Dragon spacecraft operated by the American company SpaceX to the International Space Station (ISS), flown on behalf of Vast. The launch is planned for summer 2027 at the earliest.[1][2] It will be the sixth private mission to the International Space Station, but the first for Vast, with the previous five having been organized by Axiom Space. The mission is planned to last up to 14 days.
Crew
The mission will carry one professional commander, Thomas Pesquet, who has already stayed aboard the ISS,[3] and three private or government astronauts.[4]
The Czech government signed a memorandum of understanding with Vast in 2024 to fly a Czech astronaut, the ESA reserve astronaut Aleš Svoboda,[5] on a future mission as part of the "Czech Journey to Space" program.[6] On 8 June 2026 the Czech government confirmed that Svoboda would fly to the International Space Station on the PAM-6 mission.[7] Svoboda will perform 13 experiments designed by Czech researchers and supported by ESA.[8][9]
| Position | Astronaut | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander | Thomas Pesquet, ESA Third spaceflight | |
| Pilot | Aleš Svoboda, ESA First spaceflight | |
| Mission specialist | TBA | |
| Mission specialist | TBA | |
See also
- Vast-1
- List of human spaceflights to the International Space Station
- List of European Space Agency programmes and missions
References
- ^ "NASA Selects Vast for Sixth Private Mission to Space Station - NASA". Retrieved 2026-02-14.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (2026-02-13). "Vast wins ISS private astronaut mission". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
- ^ "Thomas Pesquet et Arnaud Prost vont participer à des missions privées dans l'espace avec Vast". Rêves d'Espace (in French). 2026-06-02. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (2 June 2026). "France to fly two astronauts on Vast missions". SpaceNews.
- ^ "Aleš Svoboda". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
- ^ "Czech Ministry of Transport Signs Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vast to Partner on Engagement with Czech Space Industry". vastspace.com. 8 November 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "Czech astronaut Aleš Svoboda to become first Czech to fly to the ISS". Radio Prague International. 2026-06-08. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
- ^ "ESA Supports 13 Czech Experiments for Astronaut Aleš Svoboda's ISS Mission". Prague Daily News. 2025-10-25. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
- ^ "Czech research heads into space: from reproduction to nanorobots in space. 13 experiments for astronaut Aleš Svoboda's mission – CAERPIN". www.caerpin.cz. Retrieved 2026-06-18.