NASA is making progress on its lunar Gateway space station, a key component of the agency’s Moon to Mars architecture. The gateway will orbit the Moon as a centerpieces of Artemis missions, sending astronauts to and around the moon.
The Thales Alenia Space facility in Turin, Italy, has seen initial fabrication for one of two habitat modules nearing completion. Industry representatives from Northrop Grumman and Thales Alenia Space have been assessing the gateway’s Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) module before it is shipped to Arizona.
NASA plans to launch HALO and a Power and Propulsion Element on SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket by December 2027. The modules will spend about a year traveling uncrewed to lunar orbit, providing scientific data on solar and deep space radiation during transit.
Gateway will feature docking ports for visiting spacecraft, as well as space for crew to live, work, and prepare for lunar surface missions. The station will conduct continuous investigations into the effects of deep space radiation on vehicle systems and the human body, testing next-generation spacecraft systems necessary for a Mars mission.
Partnerships are also advancing with ESA’s Lunar Link communication system, Blue Origin’s Blue Moon human landing system, SpaceX’s Starship, and CSA’s Canadarm3 robotics system. These collaborations will support NASA’s Artemis campaign and its objectives to expand human exploration of the solar system.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/nasa-marks-artemis-progress-with-gateway-lunar-space-station