The astronaut training tourists to fly in the world’s first commercial space station

The Future of Space Travel: An Exclusive Interview with Drew Feustel

As the world's first commercial space stations begin to take shape, the possibilities for space travel and exploration are expanding exponentially. One of the pioneers in this new era is Drew Feustel, a former NASA astronaut and now the lead astronaut for Vast, a company that aims to make space travel accessible to a wider audience. In an exclusive interview, Feustel shares his insights on the future of space travel, the challenges of training civilians for space missions, and the potential for humans to become a multiplanetary species.

Creating Access to Space

For decades, space travel has been the exclusive domain of governments and professional astronauts. However, with the launch of commercial space stations, the paradigm is shifting. "Ideally, we're creating access," Feustel explains. "The paradigm that we've seen for 25 years is primarily US-backed missions to the International Space Station, and [NASA] operating that station in coordination with other nations. But [it's] still limited to 16 or 17 primary partners in the ISS program."

Vast's mission is to become a service provider to not only the US government but also other sovereign nations and organizations around the world. "We can be a service provider to other organizations and nations that are planning to build a human spaceflight program," Feustel says. This will enable greater access to a low-Earth-orbit platform, making space travel more accessible to a wider audience.

Training for Space Missions

One of the biggest challenges in space travel is training civilians for space missions. Feustel notes that the training process for Vast's space station is an 11-month program, with three to four months of day-to-day training. "We want people to understand how to operate in that spacecraft, and that component is designed by SpaceX," he explains. "They have their own training plans. We piggyback on those weeks."

The training program includes emergency response, day-to-day living, and scientific experiments. "We want to practice every one of those things multiple times, including just taking care of yourself, before you go to space so that when you get there, you've built a lot of that into your muscle memory," Feustel says.

The Importance of Zero-Gravity Training

One of the unique challenges of space travel is adapting to zero-gravity environments. Feustel notes that there's no way to train for microgravity other than through parabolic flights or underwater training. "You just have to watch videos and talk about it a lot, and try to prepare people mentally for what that's going to be like," he says.

The View from Space

One of the most awe-inspiring aspects of space travel is the view from space. Feustel notes that the reaction of people who see Earth from space is one of awe and wonder. "If more humans could see Earth from space, we'd probably be a little bit better about being humans on Earth," he says.

Becoming a Multiplanetary Species

Feustel shares the ambition of many space enthusiasts: to become a multiplanetary species. "I just believe that humans need to have the ability to live off of the planet," he says. "We're capable of it, and we're creating that access now. So why wouldn't we explore space and go further and farther and learn to live in other areas?"

Conclusion

As the world's first commercial space stations begin to take shape, the possibilities for space travel and exploration are expanding exponentially. Drew Feustel's insights on the future of space travel, the challenges of training civilians for space missions, and the potential for humans to become a multiplanetary species offer a glimpse into a future where space travel is accessible to a wider audience.

Implications

The implications of commercial space stations are far-reaching. With greater access to space, the possibilities for scientific research, space tourism, and even space-based manufacturing are expanding exponentially. As the world's first commercial space stations take shape, the possibilities for human exploration and settlement of space are becoming a reality.

Forward-Looking Thoughts

As we look to the future of space travel, it's clear that the possibilities are endless. With the launch of commercial space stations, the paradigm is shifting, and the possibilities for space travel and exploration are expanding exponentially. As we continue to push the boundaries of space travel, we may find that the future of humanity is not just on Earth, but in the vast expanse of space itself.

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Source: https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/12/1130817/vast-astronaut-drew-feustel-nasa-space-station/