NASA’s preparations for its lunar gateway project are underway. The Habitation Logistics Outpost (HALO) core module is set to embark on a journey to the US, where it will undergo series of checks before joining the gateway in orbit around the Moon.
Currently at Thales Alenia Aerospace’s facility in Italy, the HALO module is scheduled to travel to Northrop Grumman’s site in Arizona next month. The module is the crucial core of the lunar gateway and will support crew, experiments, and internal and external payloads.
The HALO segment will undergo environmental and stress tests, including installing valves, carrying out leak checks, and integrating secondary structures. One airlock, built by the United Arab Emirates’ Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, has been installed for space walks outside of the gateway.
NASA’s budget allocates over $817 million for continued construction of the lunar gateway. The agency plans to launch the HALO module and power element no later than December 2027 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. This will mark a significant milestone in the Artemis program, with the aim of establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon.
The lunar gateway is an international effort, with the European Space Agency designing its Lunar Link and the Canadian Space Agency providing a robotic arm. The gateway will be approximately a fifth the size and volume of the International Space Station but will host temporary expeditions and operate in autonomous mode for much of its time.
Despite facing hurdles and uncertainty over its future, the lunar gateway project remains an exciting development in NASA’s Artemis program. With the HALO module taking one small step closer to launch, the agency is bringing humanity one step closer to establishing a presence on the Moon.
Source: https://www.universetoday.com/170962/lunar-gateways-core-halo-module-enters-the-clean-room