NASA reveals details of the portal, the first station in lunar orbit (+ video)

In a 3D animation, NASA provides an exterior tour of the Gateway, as well as some of its components.

The space agency envisioned details of the power and propulsion component that would make Gateway the most powerful solar-electric spacecraft ever launched.

It is a module that will use the sun’s energy to power the space station’s subsystems and ionize the xenon gas responsible for producing the thrust that will maintain the Gateway’s unique polar orbit around the Moon.

They also provided the Gateway command and control link that provides communications between Earth and the lunar surface, with the Lunar Link system provided by the European Space Agency (ESA). Its name is HALO (Lodging and Logistics).

This component will host life support systems, including exercise equipment and scientific payload banks.

The other core system will be the Lunar I-Hab, which will house environmental control and life support systems, bedrooms and a kitchen.

Also detailed in an audio-visual animation, the system will be provided by the European Space Agency (ESA) with hardware contributions from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency).

Added to this is Lunar View, another ESA device, but its capabilities are refueling, power, cargo storage and large windows. It takes longer to describe each element of the video than to watch it; But it is unacceptable not to share an invention that unites scientific development on almost all continents.

In charge of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in the United Arab Emirates will be another part of the portal: the crew and the scientific airlock. This is the element that will be responsible for transporting the crew and devices from within the portal into the vacuum of space.

On the other hand, the Canadian Space Agency will supply the advanced Canadarm3 external robotic system.

The video also shows the Orion spacecraft docking in the crew and science airlock. It will carry international teams of astronauts and three modules: the Lunar I-Hab, Lunar View, and the crew and science airlock.

In addition, the government reference Human Landing System (HLS) is included, which will transport astronauts to and from the lunar South Pole region.

SpaceX and Blue Origin are contracted to provide Starship HLS and Blue Moon HLS, respectively.

Added to all this will be a Deep Space Logistics spacecraft that will carry cargo to Gateway to support the Artemis missions and other Gateway missions that will study solar and cosmic radiation.

Note/CDG