NASA, Northrop Grumman Finalize Moon Outpost Living Quarters Contract

NASA ^ | Jul 9, 2021

[BeauBo]

From the article:

[BenLurkin]

Good catch!

[BeauBo]

The Power and Propulsion Element (PPE), being built by Maxar Technologies, From Wikipedia:

The PPE is designed to be able to transfer the reusable Gateway to Mars Orbit. It will also serve as the communications center of the Gateway. (The design has been refined over earlier efforts to develop an asteroid re-director, and also a general purpose unmanned space tug)

The PPE is intended to have a mass of 8–9 tons and the capability to generate 50 kW of solar electric power using Roll Out Solar Arrays for its Hall-effect (ion) thrusters, which can be supplemented by chemical propulsion.

It is currently planned to launch on a Falcon Heavy in November 2024 along with the HALO module (Habitation And Logistics Outpost).

The PPE will be compatible with the International Docking System Standard. This means that any IDSS Spacecraft could theoretically dock to the PPE, such as Orion, the International Space Station, Dragon 2, Dream Chaser, and Boeing Starliner. The other modules of the Lunar Gateway will most likely also be IDSS compatible.

[BeauBo]

Gateway will orbit the Moon in a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (Not to scale)

Wikipedia: "The Gateway orbit is planned to be a highly-elliptical seven-day NRHO around the Moon, which would bring the small space station within 3,000 kilometers (1,900 mi) of the lunar north pole at closest approach and as far away as 70,000 kilometers (43,000 mi) over the lunar south pole."

No spacecraft has yet flown in a NRHO around any body in space. A cubesat is planned to be sent later this year (2021) to fly the orbit, and measure stability, and test the navigation system.

[BeauBo]

Gateway used to be referred to Deep Space Gateway (DSG), because it will be positioned outside of most of Earth’s gravity well, and therefore an efficient launching point for flights to Mars or beyond.

One of the functions it can perform, is as an intermediate quarantine facility, to examine any Martian or other extra-terrestrial samples, for planetary protection purposes.

[cgbg]

Only partially NASA’ fault. Half the blame goes to Presidents and Congress

NASA has spent a _ton_ of money over the last fifty years.

They are going to spend a _ton_ more for the next fifty years--and I predict they will have lots of excuses as to why they can't get anyone back on the moon.

The real reason--successful manned missions to the Moon (or Mars for that matter) require close to zero defects or casualties are the result--and NASA is totally unable to function in that type of environment.

It has become a bureaucracy of mediocrity--with lots of defects that they cannot fix.

[wally_bert]

One of the best looking spacecraft of sci-fi.

[wally_bert]

Lose the purple wigs.

Hard even on my color blind eyes.

[wally_bert]

I’d rather have Holly, the Hattie Hayridge version from Red Dwarf.