NASA decided to begin constructing the lunar gateway using the Falcon Heavy.

In October 2024, NASA will send “the first woman and the next man” to the Moon for the Artemis program. This will be the first manned mission on the Moon's surface, and the first mission beyond low Earth orbit (LEO), since the close of the Apollo era in 1972. NASA is also planning to establish an infrastructure on and around the Moon that will enable 'sustained lunar exploration and development'.

The Moon Gate, an in-orbit habitat that will allow astronauts to regularly travel to and from the Moon's surface, is a key element. After much consideration, NASA recently announced that they have selected SpaceX to launch the foundational elements of the Gateway – the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) and the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) – by May of 2024 (at the earliest).

Initially, NASA planned to deploy the Gateway before returning the astronauts to the surface of the Moon (under the Artemis III mission). In this scenario, the crew would launch the Earth-based Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion spacecraft and dock to the Gateway in lunar orbit. The much-anticipated return to the surface (and all subsequent missions to the surface) would be achieved by a reusable lunar lander.

Unfortunately, those plans had to be modified to take into account the accelerated timetable put forward by the Trump administration. Since the deadline for Artemis III was set in October 2024, NASA was obliged to reduce the priority of the Lunar Gate and consider other options. It involved hiring private contractors to develop a human landing system (HLS) that could be integrated with the Orion spacecraft (and later, the bridge).

In parallel, NASA considered deploying the Gateway independently of the first Artemis missions and using the SLS to deploy the EPP and HALO components separately. Another possibility was to enlist the help of a commercial launch provider to deploy the Gateway, thus freeing NASA and the SLS up to focus on mounting the crewed Artemis missions.

According to a recent announcement, NASA signed a contract worth approximately $331.8 million with SpaceX to jointly launch the EPI and HALO components by May 2024. Once these modules are integrated on Earth, they will be launched aboard a single Falcon Heavy rocket from the 39A launch facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Once the bridge is operational, the PPE will provide energy (within 60 kilowatts), high-speed communications, trim control, and solar-electric propulsion (SEP) capabilities. This will allow it to alter its lunar orbit as required, which will allow crews to access the surface of the Moon more easily than on conventional missions.

The HALO element will serve as a docking and accommodation/work center for crews visiting the Gateway (often en route to the lunar surface). It will also act as the command and control module, support science investigations, distribute power, provide communications with visiting vehicles and surface expeditions, and also supplement the Orion spacecraft’s life support systems.

Although neither NASA nor the Biden administration has indicated whether it intends to use Gateway again for Artemis III, the calendar seems to suggest that much. Without delay, the heart of the Gateway will be in place five months before the launch of Artemis III. With the addition of a lunar lander, the crew of Artemis III will no longer be required to carry an HLS with them (saving on the total weight of the mission).

Over time, others will be added, such as the European System Providing Refueling, Infrastructure and Telecommunications (ESPRIT) service module. This module will consist of the Halo Lunar Communication System (HLCS) and the ESPRIT Refueling Module (ERM), which will provide the Gateway additional capacity for xenon and hydrogen fuel, additional communications equipment, and airlock science packages.

The SLHC will provide communications for the mini-station and will be integrated with HALO before it is launched in 2024. The ERM will be launched in 2027 and will supply ESPRIT's pressurized fuel tanks, docking ports, and a small glass-enclosed housing corridor. On 7 January, ESA finalized a contract with the Franco-Italian space manufacturer Thales Alenia Space worth 362 million dollars (296 million euros) to build ESPRIT.

Next is the International Housing Module (I-HAB), for which Thales Alenia Space has been engaged, which will provide additional space for crews. This module is being developed by the ESA in collaboration with NASA, JAXA, and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), which will be contributing the avionics and software, the life support system, and robotics (respectively) and is slated to launch sometime in 2026.

Several proposed modules are still under review, but all planned modules should be integrated and orbiting the Moon by 2028. Once assembled, the Gateway will measure about one-sixth the size of the International Space Station (ISS) and will function as a way station located in cislunar space at Earth-Moon L1 Lagrange Point.

It will not only be an integral part of the Artemis Program, but also a hub for NASA and its international and commercial partners to conduct unprecedented lunar exploration and research. The Gateway will also play a vital role in the future exploration of Mars, serving as a way station for the Deep Space Transport and crews and cargo destined for the Red Planet.

Find out more: NASA.