Bridging the LEO Divide: Propulsion Engineering at Vast
Propulsion engineer Brianna Clark is shifting from childhood coffee-can satellites to scaling human infrastructure in orbit via Vast's Haven-1 station.
Orbital Infrastructure: The Propulsion Perspective
Operational capacity in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is no longer a government monopoly. According to Payload, Vast propulsion engineer Brianna Clark is currently spearheading the technical development required to make commercial orbital living a viable reality. Following the successful November test of the Vast Haven demo—which validated critical systems for future human habitation—Clark’s focus has shifted to the upcoming Haven-1 launch, currently scheduled for no earlier than Q1 2027.
Scaling from Amateur to Professional
Clark’s trajectory into the aerospace sector follows a rigorous technical path. Her early interest was sparked by the 2012 transport of Space Shuttle Endeavour to the California Science Center. This interest transitioned into formal engineering at California State University, Long Beach, where she developed experimental small rockets. Her career path includes high-stakes internships at Relativity Space and Blue Origin, eventually securing roles as both a Zed Factor and Brooke Owens Fellow.
The Shift to Commercial Utility
The Haven-1 platform is designed to serve as more than a mere destination; it is a laboratory for pharmaceutical development, medical research, and materials science. Clark emphasizes that the commercialization of space serves to eliminate the historical "division" between the aerospace elite and the general public. By lowering the barriers to entry, Vast aims to make orbital assets accessible for everyday industrial and scientific applications. For engineers like Clark, the transition of hardware from the assembly floor to the vacuum of space marks a definitive shift in how humanity utilizes its immediate orbital neighborhood.