NASA Makes Progress Towards Gateway Space Station

img src: NASA

Something many people are not as aware of is that NASA is working on a new space station. The new space station has been called the Deep Space Gateway and the Lunar Orbital Platform - Gateway. Most recently, it has been just called the Gateway station. Whatever its name may be, the intent is to place a space station in an orbit near the moon. From there, astronauts will explore both the moon and build the spacecraft that will take them to Mars.

This space station is supposed to have the first element placed in orbit in 2022. The propulsion module is analogous to the first International Space Station Module, Zarya. That one was built by the Russians using American money and, thus, was and is owned by the US. The new module will be built by an American company and use solar electric propulsion: it will use a small ion thruster to keep it in the proper orbit. This is the same technology that powered the Dawn space probe as it explored the Ceres dwarf planet in the asteroid belt. The propulsion module request for proposals was made public today and will be placed in its orbit by a commercial rocket, like Falcon Heavy.

The next two elements will be attached to the Gateway station in 2024 when the third launch of the Orion capsule takes place. The Space Launch System will carry an Orion capsule, astronauts and two elements of the new space station. One of the modules delivered on that mission will be the European ESPIRIT module, intended to provide communications and the ability to refuel the space station. What that will be exactly is to be determined as yet, but they better start moving quickly if they plan on launching it in five years. The second module is the US made utilization module. This will have consumables (food, water, etc) for the visiting astronauts.

Further elements will be added onto the new space station through 2028. At that time, the station will begin to host the construction of the Mars spacecraft people will use to get to the Red Planet around 2031. There will be an extended 'shake down cruise' of the spacecraft in cislunar space (between the earth and the moon) to make sure it will function properly on the way to Mars.

The Gateway station will also be used for visits to the lunar surface. Landers will attach to the Gateway, potentially refuel, and then return to the lunar surface. Likewise, sample return missiles from Mars and elsewhere prior to people visiting will rendezvous with the Gateway Station and use its own space airlock to ensure minimal, if any contamination.

Even though it seems as though the Gateway Station is a hub for space travel to the moon and mars, something like an airport, it will not have people living there full time. In fact, they will only be there transitorily. They might be there for a week, at most.

This is pretty exciting, but other than a few blogs, I don't seem to see much about it in the popular press. While there are big things afoot in the world, just remember, we are all standing in the mud, but some of us are looking at the stars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Orbital_Platform-Gateway
http://www.parabolicarc.com/2018/09/07/nasa-releases-rfp-lunar-gateway-power-propulsion-element/
http://www.planetary.org/blogs/jason-davis/orion-em-3-gateway.html
http://www.russianspaceweb.com/imp-lcub.html