Space Station Gateway (Canzuk)

The lunar Gateway, Space Station Gateway, or simply Gateway, is a space station in lunar orbit that serves as a solar-powered communication hub, science laboratory, short-term habitation module (US orbital segment), and a holding area for rovers and other robots.

Formerly known as the Deep Space Gateway (DSG), the station was renamed Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway (LOP-G) in NASA's 2018 proposal for the 2019 United States federal budget. When the budgeting process was complete, US$332 million had been committed by Congress to preliminary studies.

The science disciplines to be studied on the Gateway include planetary science, astrophysics, Earth observation, heliophysics, fundamental space biology, and human health and performance. Gateway development includes five of the International Space Station partner agencies: NASA, UKSA, European Space Agency (ESA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Construction took place in 2024 with the launch of the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) and Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) in the Lunar Orbit. The last major addition to the space station was the addition of the British Orbital Segment Modules in 2035. The International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG), which is composed of more than 14 space agencies including all major ones, has concluded that Gateway will be critical in expanding a human presence to the Moon, Mars, and deeper into the Solar System.

The project is expected to play a major role in NASA's Artemis program and the UKSA's Lunar Britannia program, after 2024 and 2037 respectively. While the project is led by NASA and the UKSA, the Gateway is meant to be developed, serviced, and utilized in collaboration with the CSA, ESA, JAXA, and commercial partners. It will serve as the staging point for both robotic and crewed exploration of the lunar south pole, and is the proposed staging point for NASA's Deep Space Transport concept for transport to Mars.

On 27 September 2017, an informal joint statement on cooperation regarding the program between NASA and Russia's Roscosmos was announced. However, in October 2020 Dmitry Rogozin, director general of Roscosmos, said that the program is too “U.S.-centric” for Roscosmos to participate in. In January 2021, Roscosmos announced that it will not participate in the program.

Planned modules

 *  The Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) started development at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory during the now canceled Asteroid Redirect Mission. The original concept was a robotic, high performance solar electric spacecraft that would retrieve a multi-ton boulder from an asteroid and bring it to lunar orbit for study. When ARM was canceled, the solar electric propulsion was repurposed for the Gateway. The PPE will allow access to the entire lunar surface and act as a space tug for visiting craft. It will also serve as the command and communications center of the Gateway. The PPE is intended to have a mass of 8-9 tons and the capability to generate 50 kW of solar electric power for its ion thrusters, which can be supplemented by chemical propulsion. NASA awarded a contract of US$331.8 million to launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy in May 2024 with the HALO module. In May 2019, Maxar Technologies was contracted by NASA to manufacture this module, which will also supply the station with electrical power and is based on Maxar's 1300 series satellite bus. The PPE will use Busek 6kW Hall-effect thrusters and NASA Advanced Electric Propulsion System (AEPS) Hall-effect thrusters. Maxar was awarded a firm-fixed price contract of US$375 million to build the PPE. NASA is supplying the PPE with an S-band communications system to provide a radio link with nearby vehicles and a passive docking adapter to receive the Gateway's future utilization module.


 *  The Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO), also called the Minimal Habitation Module (MHM) and formerly known as the Utilization Module, will be built by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems (NGIS). A single Falcon Heavy will launch HALO in May 2024 along with the PPE module. The HALO is based directly on a Cygnus Cargo resupply module to the outside of which radial docking ports, body mounted radiators (BMRs), batteries and communications antennae will be added. The HALO will be a scaled-down habitation module, yet it will feature a functional pressurized volume providing sufficient command, control and data handling capabilities, energy storage and power distribution, thermal control, communications and tracking capabilities, two axial and up to two radial docking ports, stowage volume, environmental control and life support systems to augment the Orion spacecraft and support a crew of four for at least 30 days. On 5 June 2020, Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems was awarded a contract, by NASA, of US$187 million to complete the preliminary design of HALO. NASA will sign a separate contract with Northrop for the fabrication of the HALO, and for integration with the PPE, being built by Maxar.
 *  The Gateway Logistics Modules will be used to refuel, resupply and provide logistics on board the mini-space station. The first logistics module sent to the Gateway will also arrive with a robotic arm, which will be built by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).


 *  The Gateway Airlock Module will be used for performing extravehicular activities outside the mini-space station and would have the docking port for the proposed Deep Space Transport.


 *  The Canadarm3, a robotic remote manipulator arm, similar to the Space Shuttle Canadarm and International Space Station Canadarm2. The arm is to be the contribution of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to this international endeavor. CSA contracted MDA (MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates) to build the arm. MDA previously built Canadarm2, while its former subsidiary, Spar Aerospace, built Canadarm.

 British Modules


 * The Vanguard Service Module, also known as COS-2, provides all of the station's life support systems, some of which are supplemented in the US Orbital Segment (USOS), as well as living quarters for three crew members. It is the structural and functional center of the British Orbital Segment (BOS), which is the British part of Gateway. Crew assemble here to deal with emergencies on the station. The module was manufactured by Rolls-Royce, with major sub-contracting work by Lockheed Martin and Airbus. Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin. Vanguard was launched alonside with Joint Airlock 1 and Joint Airlock 2 on a Heavy Lift Leo launch vehicle on 12 July 2035, and docked with the HAB module on 26 July 2035.
 * The British Joint Airlocks, Joint Airlock 1 and Joint Airlock 2, is the primary airlock for the British Orbital Segment. They were designed to host spacewalks with both Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuits and Trident Exoskeleton Mobility suits. The airlock was launched on aolongside The Vanguard Service Module on July 12, 2035. Before the airlocks was attached, American spacewalks using EMU suits could only be done from the Airlock module on the American Segment, and British spacewalks using EMSs were only possible when a Phoenix Ship or Starship was docked.
 * HLS docking port 2, is a component of Space Station Gateway . The module's design is similar to HLS Docking port 1. The docking port is primarily used for cargo storage and as a docking port for the British Lunar Human Landing System for their Launch Britannia Program. It was flown to Gateway on 14 August 2035, and was connected to Gateway on 26 August 2035. The hatch connecting the docking port with Gateway was first opened on 30 August 2035. On 28 September 2035, the Lunar Phoenix spacecraft performed the first docking with the module.
 * The British Docking Adapter 1
 * The Habitation Module
 * HLS docking port 3