The first commercial space station is nearly here. And it could change space forever

In 2026, a team of astronauts will float inside a glossy white cylinder orbiting hundreds of kilometres above Earth. They'll gaze down at the planet through a 1.1-metre domed window, sleep in inflatable beds designed for zero gravity, and carry out experiments on the human body, plant growth and protein crystallisation. But this isn't the International Space Station (ISS). It's not run by NASA, Roscosmos or the China National Space Administration. This is Haven-1 - the world's first commercial space station, built by a private company called Vast. Set to launch in May 2026 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9, Haven-1…