Artemis Update: The Lunar Gateway Has Been Shelved in Favor of a Moon Base, While a Nuclear-powered Mission Heads to Mars in 2028...

NASA

NASA Unveils Initiatives to Achieve America’s National Space Policy (News Release)

As part of its Ignition event on Tuesday, NASA announced a series of transformative agencywide initiatives designed to achieve the president's National Space Policy and advance American leadership in space. These actions reflect the urgency of the moment, but also the tremendous opportunity ahead for world-changing science and discovery.

“NASA is committed to achieving the near‑impossible once again, to build a Moon base, establish an enduring presence, and do the other things needed to ensure American leadership in space. This is why it is essential we leave an event like Ignition with complete alignment on the national imperative that is our collective mission. The clock is running in this great‑power competition, and success or failure will be measured in months, not years,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.

“If we concentrate NASA’s extraordinary resources on the objectives of the National Space Policy, clear away needless obstacles that impede progress, and unleash the workforce and industrial might of our nation and partners, then returning to the Moon and building a base will seem pale in comparison to what we will be capable of accomplishing in the years ahead.”

NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya said, “Today we are aligning NASA around the mission. On the Moon, we are shifting to a focused, phased architecture that builds capability landing by landing, incrementally, and in alignment with our industrial and international partners. In low-Earth orbit (LEO), we are recognizing where the market is and where it isn’t, recognizing the incredible value of the International Space Station, and building a transition that builds a competitive commercial ecosystem rather than forcing a single outcome the market cannot support.

"In our science missions, we are opening the lunar surface to researchers and students nationwide, and with Space Reactor‑1 Freedom, we are finally putting nuclear propulsion on a trajectory out of the laboratory and into deep space. And this is all possible by investing in our people, bringing critical skills back into the agency, putting our teams where the machines are being built, and creating real pathways for the next generation of NASA leaders. Our workforce is the jewel of NASA, and from their leaders, they need clear mission goals, the tools to execute, and to get out of their way. This is what Ignition is about.”

Going back to the Moon

The announcements build on recent updates to the Artemis program, including standardizing the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket configuration, adding an additional mission in 2027, and undertaking at least one surface landing every year thereafter. Under this previously updated architecture, Artemis III – scheduled for 2027 – will focus on testing integrated systems and operational capabilities in Earth orbit in advance of the Artemis IV lunar landing.

Looking beyond Artemis V, NASA announced on March 24 that it will begin to incorporate more commercially-procured and reusable hardware to undertake frequent and affordable crewed missions to the lunar surface, initially targeting landings every six months, with the potential to increase cadence as capabilities mature.

To achieve an enduring human presence on the Moon, NASA also announced a phased approach to building a lunar base. As part of this strategy, the agency intends to pause Gateway in its current form and shift focus to infrastructure that enables sustained surface operations. Despite challenges with some existing hardware, the agency will repurpose applicable equipment and leverage international partner commitments to support these objectives.

In the coming days, NASA will release Requests for Information (RFIs) and draft Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to ensure continued progress in meeting national objectives.

Building the Moon Base

NASA’s plan for establishing a sustained lunar presence will roll out in three deliberate phases.

-- Phase One: Build, Test, Learn
NASA shifts from bespoke, infrequent missions to a repeatable, modular approach. Through CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) deliveries and the LTV (Lunar Terrain Vehicle) program, the agency will increase the tempo of lunar activity, sending rovers, instruments and technology demonstrations that advance mobility, power generation (including radioisotope heater units and radioisotope thermoelectric generators), communications, navigation, surface operations, and a wide range of scientific investigations.

-- Phase Two: Establish Early Infrastructure
With lessons from early missions in hand, NASA moves toward semi‑habitable infrastructure and regular logistics. This phase supports recurring astronaut operations on the surface and incorporates major international contributions, including JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) pressurized rover, and potentially other partner scientific payloads, rovers, and infrastructure/transportation capabilities.

--Phase Three: Enable Long‑Duration Human Presence
As cargo‑capable Human Landing Systems (HLS) come online, NASA will deliver heavier infrastructure needed for a continuous human foothold on the Moon, marking the transition from periodic expeditions to a permanent lunar base. This will include ASI’s (Italian Space Agency) Multi-purpose Habitats (MPH), CSA’s (Canadian Space Agency) Lunar Utility Vehicle, and opportunities for additional contributions in habitation, surface mobility and logistics.

Ensuring American presence in low-Earth orbit

While building a sustainable lunar architecture, NASA is also reaffirming its commitment to low-Earth orbit. For more than two decades, the International Space Station has served as a world‑class orbital laboratory, enabling more than 4,000 research investigations, supporting more than 5,000 researchers, and hosting visitors from 26 countries. The space station required 37 shuttle flights, 160 spacewalks, two decades, and more than $100 billion to design, develop and build.

The orbital laboratory cannot operate indefinitely. The transition to commercial stations must be thoughtful, deliberate and structured to support long‑term industry success.

NASA is introducing and seeking industry feedback on an additional LEO strategy that preserves all current pathways while adding a phased, International Space Station‑anchored approach to avoid any gap in U.S. human presence and mature a robust commercial ecosystem. Under this alternative approach, NASA would procure a government‑owned Core Module that attaches to the space station, followed by commercial modules that are validated using International Space Station capabilities and later detach into free flight. After maturing technical and operational capabilities and market demand is realized, the stations would detach and NASA would be one of many customers purchasing commercial services.

To stimulate the orbital economy, NASA would expand industry opportunities, including private astronaut missions, commander seat sales, joint missions, multiple module competitions, and prize‑based awards.

An industry RFI opens on Wednesday, March 25, to inform partnership structures, financing, and risk mitigation.

Advancing world-changing discovery with current, developing science missions

In a Golden Age of exploration and discovery, NASA takes full advantage of every opportunity to get science into space. The James Webb Space Telescope continues to transform our understanding of the early Universe, Parker Solar Probe has flown through the atmosphere of the Sun, NASA has shown that it can defend the planet by deflecting asteroids, and Earth science data is used extensively by American companies, U.S. agriculture, and disaster relief. On the International Space Station, NASA is conducting groundbreaking experiments in quantum science.

Future opportunities will advance U.S. leadership in space science. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, launching as early as this fall, will advance our understanding of dark energy, and has created a new standard for the management of large science missions. Dragonfly will launch a nuclear-powered octocopter in 2028, arriving at Saturn’s moon Titan in 2034 to explore its complex, organic-rich environment.

In 2028, NASA will launch and deliver ESA’s (European Space Agency) Rosalind Franklin Rover to Mars, with NASA’s contributed mass spectrometer for the Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) instrument, which may result in the most advanced detection and analysis of organic matter ever conducted on Mars. A new Earth science mission launching next year will measure for the first time the evolution of the dynamics within convective storms to improve the prediction of extreme weather events up to six hours before the storm occurs.

The agency detailed how advancements in lunar science will also be afforded by the build out of the Moon Base and underpin future Moon and Mars exploration. With an accelerated CLPS cadence, targeting up to 30 robotic landings starting in 2027, NASA is expediting delivery of science and technology to the lunar surface. There will be many opportunities for payload delivery including rovers, hoppers and drones with contributions welcomed from industry, academia and international partners.

Near-term payloads include the VIPER rover and the LuSEE‑Night mission. An RFI will be released on March 24 that calls for payloads capable of supporting NASA’s science and technology goals for additional 2027 and 2028 flights. It will enable students and researchers across the country to work on scientific instruments for use on the surface of the Moon in the years ahead.

This RFI will also solicit payloads incorporated on future missions to Mars including the Mars Telecom Network (MTN) and a nuclear technology demonstration mission.

The agency intends to partner with philanthropic and privately-funded research organizations with shared objectives in space science.

Other RFIs released on March 24 will strengthen “Science as a Service” partnerships and commercial capabilities, allowing NASA to streamline legacy operations and focus investment on the transformational missions that only the agency can lead.

Finally, NASA will unveil a previously unseen pair of images from the James Webb and Hubble Space Telescopes. These images show the planet Saturn in unprecedented detail in both infrared and visible wavelengths.

America underway on nuclear power in space

In addition to these scientific missions, after decades of study and in response to the National Space Policy, NASA announced a major step forward in bringing nuclear power and propulsion from the lab to space.

NASA will launch the Space Reactor‑1 Freedom, the first nuclear-powered interplanetary spacecraft, to Mars before the end of 2028, demonstrating advanced nuclear electric propulsion in deep space. Nuclear electric propulsion provides an extraordinary capability for efficient mass transport in deep space and enables high power missions beyond Jupiter where solar arrays are not effective.

When SR-1 Freedom reaches Mars, it will deploy the Skyfall payload of Ingenuity‑class helicopters to continue exploring the Red Planet. SR-1 Freedom will establish flight heritage nuclear hardware, set regulatory and launch precedent, and activate the industrial base for future fission power systems across propulsion, surface, and long‑duration missions. NASA and its U.S. Department of Energy partner will unlock the capabilities required for sustained exploration beyond the Moon and eventual journeys to Mars and the outer Solar System.

None of these endeavors can succeed without the NASA workforce. As previously announced, the agency is rebuilding its core competencies, converting thousands of contractor positions to civil service, and restoring the engineering, technical and operational strengths expected of the world’s premier space organization.

NASA is expanding opportunities for interns and early‑career professionals and, in partnership with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and NASA Force, is creating new pathways for experienced industry talent to serve through term‑based appointments. The agency is also seeking to open opportunities for NASA employees to gain valuable experience working within the most technologically-advanced space industry in history.

The changes announced on March 24 will be implemented during the coming months, with teams agencywide ensuring a smooth transition while advancing key programs and partnerships.

NASA will embed subject‑matter experts across the supply chain – at every major vendor, subcontractor and critical‑path component – to challenge assumptions, solve problems, accelerate production, and help ensure that the right outcomes are achieved.

Through these reforms, NASA is strengthening its ability to deliver on the president’s National Space Policy and ensure continued American superiority in space.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA


NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Amy Simon (NASA-GSFC), Michael Wong (UC Berkeley); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

.@NASAMoonBase has landed on X. Join us as we explore, innovate, and build a sustained human presence on the Moon. pic.twitter.com/qNgYX8cJWU

— NASA (@NASA) March 24, 2026

The Latest Update on Humanity's First Orbital Moon Outpost...

Lanteris Space Systems

Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element Undergoes Battery Installations (Photo Release)

Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) undergoes battery installations at Lanteris Space Systems in Palo Alto, California, in January 2026.

PPE is a 60-kilowatt solar electric propulsion spacecraft that will supply the lunar space station with power, high-rate communications, attitude control, orbit maintenance, and orbit transfer capabilities.

The PPE's design is based on Lanteris Space Systems’ commercial 1300 bus, enhanced with the most powerful Advanced Electric Propulsion System (AEPS) thrusters and the largest roll-out solar arrays (ROSAs) ever developed.

Lanteris Space Systems is the lead industry partner for PPE’s design, manufacturing and integration.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Lanteris Space Systems


Lanteris Space Systems


Lanteris Space Systems

A Christmas Update on Humanity's First Orbital Moon Outpost...

Redwire Corporation

Redwire Successfully Deploys the Most Powerful Roll-Out Solar Arrays Ever Built, Prepares for Major Delivery in Fourth Quarter (News Release)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW), a global leader in aerospace and defense technology solutions, today announced that it has successfully completed the first deployment test for one of its Roll-Out Solar Arrays (ROSA) for the lunar Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element (PPE). Powered by PPE and Redwire’s trailblazing ROSAs, the Gateway will represent the pinnacle of solar electric propulsion technology, a key capability not just for future exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, but for national security platforms as well. The Gateway ROSAs will generate an unprecedented 60 kW – making these the most powerful ROSAs ever built.

With this robust supply of power, Gateway will offer extensive capabilities for sustained exploration and research in deep space, potentially enabling ambitious activities such as resource extraction and utilization, while also providing peaceful space domain awareness and enhancing astronaut safety.

Redwire was contracted by Maxar, the prime contractor for PPE, to develop two ROSA wings. The pair of PPE ROSAs will undergo additional testing in the coming months as Redwire prepares to deliver the ROSA wings to Maxar in the fourth quarter of 2025.

“Redwire is proud to be contributing critical infrastructure for PPE and the Gateway mission, and we are grateful for the trust of our customer Maxar and the dedicated teams that are delivering this important hardware. These ROSAs represent a significant technology achievement that will propel human spaceflight into a bold future,” said Adam Biskner, Redwire President of Space Systems.

Redwire hosted a number of Gateway’s industry and international partners to witness the unveiling of the most powerful ROSAs. Leaders from Maxar, Northrop Grumman, the European Space Agency, the Consulate General of Canada, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the United Arab Emirates’ Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), participated in the event and voiced uniform and unwavering support for the importance of the Gateway to deep space exploration of the Moon and Mars. To watch a replay of the remarks, visit https://youtu.be/MHp5ei1gYSo

“The unprecedented global coalition supporting Gateway is providing more than 60% of its funding, creating a massive savings for the American taxpayer. Moreover, gaining experience with a large spacecraft supporting surface operations will create invaluable experience to ensure that a future mission to Mars is safe and successful. Gateway will ensure that we do not cede the benefits of our international partnerships on Earth, or exploration leadership on the Moon and Mars to China,” added Mike Gold, Redwire President of Civil and International Space.

Source: Redwire Corporation

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NASA / Maxar Space Systems

Power on for Gateway’s powerhouse.

The Power and Propulsion Element for Gateway powered on for the first time. Gateway will support missions between lunar orbit and the Moon’s surface.

Learn more about Gateway: https://t.co/JnhPO4nIwR pic.twitter.com/H2yNuQ7Zqz

— NASA Artemis (@NASAArtemis) December 19, 2025

Photos of the Day: The Launch Tower for the SLS Block 1B Rocket Continues to Take Shape at KSC...

Greg Scott - @GregScott_photo on X

Just thought I'd share these great images of Mobile Launcher (ML)-2, taken by avid space photographer Greg Scott, as it continues to take shape near the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The final tower module was installed on ML-2 earlier this month...completing the main structure of the launch platform prior to piping, electrical, hydraulics and the umbilical arms themselves beginning integration on the 390-foot-tall launcher.

When completed, ML-2 will begin operations supporting the first flight of the Space Launch System's (SLS) Block 1B variant—currently scheduled to embark on NASA's Artemis 4 mission to the Moon in late 2028. That flight will see the first use of the Exploration Upper Stage on SLS, and send the Orion capsule and first astronaut crew to the Gateway lunar space station.


Greg Scott - @GregScott_photo on X


NASA

NASA Is Trying to Put a Positive Spin on a Disastrous Budget Proposal by a Disastrous Administration...

Brandon Hancock

President Trump’s FY26 Budget Revitalizes Human Space Exploration (News Release)

The Trump-Vance Administration released toplines of the President’s budget for Fiscal Year 2026 on Friday. The budget accelerates human space exploration of the Moon and Mars with a fiscally-responsible portfolio of missions.

“This proposal includes investments to simultaneously pursue exploration of the Moon and Mars while still prioritizing critical science and technology research,” said acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro. “I appreciate the President’s continued support for NASA’s mission and look forward to working closely with the administration and Congress to ensure we continue making progress toward achieving the impossible.”

-- Increased commitment to human space exploration in pursuit of exploration of both the Moon and Mars. By allocating more than $7 billion for lunar exploration and introducing $1 billion in new investments for Mars-focused programs, the budget ensures that America’s human space exploration efforts remain unparalleled, innovative and efficient.

-- Refocus science and space technology resources to efficiently execute high priority research. Consistent with the administration’s priority of returning to the Moon before China and putting an American on Mars, the budget will advance priority science and research missions and projects, ending financially unsustainable programs including Mars Sample Return. It emphasizes investments in transformative space technologies while responsibly shifting projects better suited for private sector leadership.

-- Transition the Artemis campaign to a more sustainable, cost-effective approach to lunar exploration. The SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion capsule will be retired after Artemis III, paving the way for more cost-effective, next-generation commercial systems that will support subsequent NASA lunar missions. The budget also ends the Gateway Program, with the opportunity to repurpose already-produced components for use in other missions.

International partners will be invited to join these renewed efforts, expanding opportunities for meaningful collaboration on the Moon and Mars.

-- Continue the process of transitioning the International Space Station to commercial replacements in 2030, focusing onboard research on efforts critical to the exploration of the Moon and Mars. The budget reflects the upcoming transition to a more cost-effective, open commercial approach to human activities in low-Earth orbit by reducing the space station’s crew size and onboard research, preparing for the safe decommissioning of the station and its replacement by commercial space stations.

-- Work to minimize duplication of efforts and most efficiently steward the allocation of American taxpayer dollars. This budget ensures that NASA’s topline enables a financially-sustainable trajectory to complete groundbreaking research and execute the agency’s bold mission.

-- Focus NASA’s resources on its core mission of space exploration. This budget ends climate-focused “green aviation” spending while protecting the development of technologies with air traffic control and other U.S. government and commercial applications, producing savings. This budget will also ensure continued elimination of any funding toward misaligned DEIA initiatives, instead designating that money to missions capable of advancing NASA’s core mission.

NASA will continue to inspire the next generation of explorers through exciting, ambitious space missions that demonstrate American leadership in space. The agency will coordinate closely with its partners to execute these priorities and investments as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Building on the President’s promise to increase efficiency this budget pioneers a focused, innovative and fiscally-responsible path to America’s next great era of human space exploration.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / JPL - Caltech


NASA

The rumors we reported on were right, but the reality is worse than we thought. Here’s what you need to know. ⬇️

💰 The “budget blueprint” or “skinny budget.” This is the first part of the President's Budget Request, providing a high-level overview of what’s to come later this… pic.twitter.com/OunZUyRY9k

— Planetary Society (@exploreplanets) May 2, 2025

It is legitimately disgusting to try to spin a $6.3b cut to NASA as anything but a concerted effort by the WH to cripple America’s future in space, like critical thinking is VERY important here. A $6.3b cut and killing Orion is in no way a “increased commitment” https://t.co/A0Qoe4h9iX

— Maddie Urquhart (@rocketgobrrrrr) May 2, 2025

From the ranking member of the House appropriations subcommittee that funds NASA: https://t.co/xO4oDZhT5J

— Jeff Foust (@jeff_foust) May 2, 2025

If you care about humanity's journey into space, and American progress in space, a 24% cut to NASA, the greatest space agency of all time, is not a good move to make. Full stop.

All conversations about improvements, critiques, efficiencies etc. is fine. That is 95% of all of my…

— Ken Kirtland IV (@KenKirtland17) May 2, 2025

Trump’s Proposed NASA Budget Could Torch the Agency’s Boldest Missions https://t.co/PYSQey4clL

— Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) May 2, 2025

The Latest Update on Humanity's First Orbital Moon Outpost...

NASA / Josh Valcarcel

Northrop Grumman Begins Integration and Testing of NASA’s Habitation and Logistics Outpost (News Release - April 24)

GILBERT, Ariz. – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) and NASA marked a key milestone, enabling integration and testing to begin on the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) module for Gateway: humanity’s first space station in deep space and an integral part of the Artemis campaign. The HALO core structure arrived in Arizona on April 1 from supplier Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy. With the arrival of the core structure, Northrop Grumman will start outfitting the module with systems that allow astronauts to live and thrive in deep space.

“We are making significant progress on HALO, the first home for humans to live for extended periods near the Moon,” said Brandon White, vice president and general manager, tactical space systems, Northrop Grumman. “Our HALO team is dedicated to furthering human exploration of deep space by delivering safe and reliable systems that teach us what we need to know for journeys to Mars.”

Source: Northrop Grumman

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NASA / Josh Valcarcel

The Latest Update on Humanity's First Orbital Moon Outpost...

NASA / Josh Valcarcel

Gateway's HALO Arrives in Arizona for Final Outfitting (Photo Release - April 3)

At Northrop Grumman’s Gilbert, Arizona, facility, teams remove Gateway’s HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost) from its transport container. HALO arrived from Turin, Italy, where Thales Alenia Space fabricated its primary structure.

The module will undergo final outfitting in Gilbert before being integrated with the Power and Propulsion Element and launched to lunar orbit.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Josh Valcarcel


NASA / Josh Valcarcel


NASA / Josh Valcarcel


NASA / Josh Valcarcel


NASA / Josh Valcarcel

The Latest Update on Humanity's First Orbital Moon Outpost...

NASA / Josh Valcarcel

NASA Welcomes Gateway Lunar Space Station’s HALO Module to U.S. (News Release - April 4)

From Italy to Arizona: Gateway’s first habitation module takes a major step on its path to launch.

A core component of Gateway, humanity’s first space station around the Moon, is now on American soil and one step closer to launch. In lunar orbit, Gateway will support NASA’s Artemis campaign to return humans to the Moon and chart a path of scientific discovery towards the first crewed missions to Mars.

Gateway’s first pressurized module and one of its two foundational elements, HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost), arrived in Arizona on April 1. Fresh off a transatlantic journey from Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy, the structure will undergo final outfitting at Northrop Grumman’s integration and test facility in Gilbert before being integrated with Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The pair of modules will launch together on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

Gateway’s HALO will provide Artemis astronauts with space to live, work, conduct scientific research, and prepare for missions to the lunar surface. It will offer command and control, data handling, energy storage, electrical power distribution, thermal regulation, and communications and tracking via Lunar Link, a high-rate lunar communication system provided by ESA (European Space Agency). The module will include docking ports for visiting vehicles such as NASA’s Orion spacecraft, lunar landers and logistics modules.

HALO will also support both internal and external science payloads, enabling research and technology demonstrations in the harsh deep space environment.

Built with industry and international partners, Gateway will support sustained exploration of the Moon, serve as a platform for science and international collaboration, and act as a proving ground for the technologies and systems needed for future human missions to Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Thales Alenia Space


Thales Alenia Space


NASA / Josh Valcarcel


NASA / Josh Valcarcel


NASA / Maxar Space Systems

A Quick Update on Humanity's First Lunar Space Station...

NASA / GRC / Jef Janis

Gateway Hardware Milestone: First AEPS Thruster for Power and Propulsion Element Delivered to NASA Glenn (Photo Release)

NASA Glenn Research Center has received the first of three Advanced Electric Propulsion System (AEPS) thrusters for the Gateway lunar space station.

Built by L3Harris Technologies, the thruster will undergo testing before integration with Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element, launching with the HALO module ahead of Artemis IV.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / GRC / Jef Janis


NASA / Maxar Space Systems

The Latest Update on Gateway...

Maxar Space Systems

NASA Prepares Gateway Lunar Space Station for Journey to Moon (News Release - February 25)

Assembly is underway for Gateway's Power and Propulsion Element, the module that will power the lunar space station's journey to and around the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis campaign.

NASA’s Artemis IV astronauts will be the first to inhabit the Gateway lunar space station, opening the door to greater exploration of the Moon and paving the way to Mars. Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element, which will make the station the most powerful solar electric spacecraft ever flown, takes shape at Maxar Space Systems. In lunar orbit, Gateway will allow NASA to conduct unique science and exploration while preparing astronauts to go to the Red Planet.

Technicians install key hardware on the element’s Propulsion Bus Module following installation of both electric propulsion and chemical propulsion control modules. The image above highlights a propellant tank exposed on the right, positioned within the central cylinder of the element.

The Power and Propulsion Element will launch with Gateway’s HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost) ahead of NASA’s Artemis IV mission. During Artemis IV, V and VI, international crews of astronauts will assemble the lunar space station around the Moon and embark on expeditions to the Moon’s South Pole region.

The Power and Propulsion Element is managed out of NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and built by Maxar Space Systems in Palo Alto, California.

Gateway is an international collaboration to establish humanity’s first lunar space station as a central component of the Artemis architecture designed to return humans to the Moon for scientific discovery and chart a path for the first human missions to Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Maxar Space Systems


NASA / Maxar Space Systems

The Latest Update on the SLS Block 1B Variant...

NASA / Samuel Lott

NASA Readies Moon Rocket for the Future with Manufacturing Innovation (News Release - February 13)

NASA’s Artemis campaign will send astronauts, payloads and science experiments into deep space on NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) super heavy-lift Moon rocket. Starting with Artemis IV, the Orion spacecraft and its astronauts will be joined by other payloads atop an upgraded version of the SLS, called Block 1B. SLS Block 1B will deliver initial elements of a lunar space station designed to enable long-term exploration of the lunar surface and pave the way for future journeys to Mars.

To fly these advanced payloads on their future journeys through deep space, engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, are building a cone-shaped adapter that is key to SLS Block 1B.

The payload adapter, nestled within the universal stage adapter sitting atop the SLS Block 1B’s Exploration Upper Stage, acts as a connecting point to secure a large payload that is co-manifested – or flying along with – the Orion spacecraft. The adapter consists of eight composite panels with an aluminum honeycomb core and two aluminum rings.

Beginning with the Artemis IV mission, SLS Block 1B will feature a new, more powerful upper stage that provides a substantial increase in payload mass, volume and energy over the first variant of the rocket that is launching Artemis missions I through III. SLS Block 1B can send 84,000 pounds of payload – including both a crewed Orion spacecraft and a 10-metric ton (22,046 lbs.) co-manifested payload riding in a separate cargo compartment – to the Moon in a single launch.

Artemis IV’s co-manifested payload will be the Lunar I-Hab, one of the initial elements of the Gateway lunar space station. Built by ESA (European Space Agency), the Lunar I-Hab provides expanded capability for astronauts to live, work, conduct science experiments and prepare for their missions to the lunar surface.

Before the Artemis IV mission structure was finalized, NASA engineers needed to design and test the new payload adapter.

“With SLS, there’s an intent to have as much commonality between flights as possible,” says Brent Gaddes, Lead for the Orion Stage Adapter and Payload Adapter in the SLS Spacecraft/Payload Integration & Evolution Office at NASA Marshall. However, with those payloads changing typically every flight, the connecting payload adapter must change as well. “We knew there needed to be a lot of flexibility to the payload adapter, and that we needed to be able to respond quickly in-house once the payloads were finalized,” says Gaddes.

A Flexible Approach

The required flexibility was not going to be satisfied with a one-size-fits-all approach, according to Gaddes.

Since different size payload adapters could be needed, Marshall is using a flexible approach to assemble the payload adapter that eliminates the need for heavy and expensive tooling used to hold the parts in place during assembly. A computer model of each completed part is created using a process called structured light scanning. The computer model provides the precise locations where holes need to be drilled to hold the parts together so that the completed payload adapter will be exactly the right size.

“Structured light has helped us reduce costs and increase flexibility on the payload adapter and allows us to pivot,” says Gaddes. “If the call came down to build a cargo version of SLS to launch 40 metric tons, for example, we can use our same tooling with the structured light approach to adapt to different sizes, whether that’s for an adapter with a larger diameter that’s shorter, or one with a smaller diameter that’s longer. It’s faster and cheaper.”

NASA Marshall engineers use an automated placement robot to manufacture eight lightweight composite panels from a graphite epoxy material. The robot performs fast, accurate lamination following preprogrammed paths, its high speed and precision resulting in lower cost and significantly faster production than other manufacturing methods.

At NASA Marshall, an engineering development unit of the payload has been successfully tested which demonstrated that it can handle up to three times the expected load. Another test version currently in development, called the qualification unit, will also be tested to NASA standards for composite structures to ensure that the flight unit will perform as expected.

“The payload adapter is shaped like a cone, and historically, most of the development work on structures like this has been on cylinders, so that’s one of the many reasons why testing it is so important,” says Gaddes. “NASA will test as high a load as possible to learn what produces structural failure. Any information we learn here will feed directly into the body of information NASA has pulled together over the years on how to analyze structures like this, and of course that’s something that’s shared with industry as well. It’s a win for everybody.”

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Samuel Lott

The Latest Update on Gateway...

Thales Alenia Space

Lunar Space Station Module Will Journey to U.S. Ahead of NASA’s Artemis IV Moon Mission (News Release)

A key element of the Gateway lunar space station has entered the clean room for final installations after completing environmental stress tests.

When NASA’s Artemis IV astronauts journey to the Moon, they will make the inaugural visit to Gateway, humanity’s first space station in lunar orbit. Shown here, technicians carefully guide HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost)—a foundational element of Gateway—onto a stand in the clean room at Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy. The element’s intricate structure, designed to support astronauts and science in lunar orbit, has entered the clean room after successfully completing a series of rigorous environmental stress tests.

In the clean room, technicians will make final installations before preparing the module for transport to the United States, a key milestone on its path to launch. This process includes installing and testing valves and hatches, performing leak checks, and integrating external secondary structures. Once these steps are finished, the module will be packaged for shipment to Gilbert, Arizona, where Northrop Grumman will complete its outfitting.

As one of Gateway’s four pressurized modules, HALO will provide Artemis astronauts with space to live, work, conduct scientific research, and prepare for missions to the lunar surface. The module will also support internal and external science payloads, including a space weather instrument suite attached via a Canadian Space Agency Small Orbital Replacement Unit Robotic Interface, host the Lunar Link communications system developed by the European Space Agency, and offer docking ports for visiting vehicles, including lunar landers and NASA’s Orion spacecraft.

Developed in collaboration with industry and international partners, Gateway is a cornerstone of NASA’s Artemis campaign to advance science and exploration on and around the Moon in preparation for the next giant leap: the first human missions to Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Thales Alenia Space

The International Space Station Is Set to Receive Another Power Upgrade...

NASA

Redwire Successfully Delivers Fourth Pair of Roll-Out Solar Array Wings for ISS Power (Press Release)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW), a leader in space infrastructure for the next-generation space economy, announced today the successful delivery of the fourth pair of Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) wings for the International Space Station (ISS), also known as the IROSA program. The wings were developed and delivered through a follow-on contract with Boeing, NASA’s prime contractor for ISS operations.

The IROSA wings enhance the space station’s power supply to support critical research and space operations. The fourth pair of wings were developed in partnership with Boeing’s Spectrolab and delivered through a follow-on contract awarded in June 2022. Since 2021, a total of six Redwire-built arrays have been deployed on the ISS, modernizing its critical power supply.

“With eight IROSA wings produced, and six currently deployed and powering the ISS to date, IROSA is a proven technology for powering sustained human activities in space,” said Peter Cannito, Redwire Chairman and CEO. “The technical success of the program paves the way for new opportunities for commercial space stations and sustained power infrastructure on the Moon and beyond.”

The delivery of the most recent set of IROSA wings follows acceptance testing consisting of multiple ambient functional deployments, vibration, and cold and hot temperature deployments. The wings are undergoing flight package integration in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and are slated to launch on an upcoming commercial resupply mission to the ISS.

Each wing provides an additional 20+ kW of power for over 10 years once deployed, and all eight IROSA wings combined will provide more than 160 kW. Since installation on the ISS, the six currently-deployed wings have operated nominally, enabling extended operation of ISS to 2030 and beyond.

Redwire has continued to advance ROSA technology to power other spaceflight platforms and ambitious missions with reliable and stable power solutions for civil, DoD and commercial customers. Redwire is currently building ROSA systems for the Power and Propulsion Element for NASA’s Gateway program, a part of the agency’s Artemis program, and Astrobotic’s Lunar Vertical Solar Array program, which aims to provide sustainable power on the lunar surface. Along with its previous success on the ISS, Redwire’s ROSA technology also powered NASA’s DART spacecraft to impact the asteroid Dimorphos, successfully altering the asteroid’s orbit in September 2022.

Source: Redwire Space

Happy First Day of Winter! The Latest Update on the Second SLS Booster...

NASA / Kim Shiflett

Artemis II Core Stage Vertical Integration Begins at NASA Kennedy (News Release - December 19)

NASA has taken a big step forward in how engineers will assemble and stack future SLS (Space Launch System) rockets for Artemis Moon missions inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The VAB’s High Bay 2 has been outfitted with new tooling to facilitate the vertical integration of the SLS core stage. That progress was on full display in mid-December when teams suspended the fully-assembled core stage 225 feet in the air inside the high bay to complete vertical work before it is stacked on Mobile Launcher 1, allowing teams to continue solid rocket booster stacking simultaneously inside High Bay 3 for Artemis II.

With the move to High Bay 2, technicians with NASA and Boeing now have 360-degree tip-to-tail access to the core stage, both internally and externally. Michigan-based supplier Futuramic Tool and Engineering led the design and build of the Core Stage Vertical Integration Center tool that will hold the core stage in a vertical position.

“High Bay 2 tooling was originally scheduled to be complete for Artemis III. We had an opportunity to get it done earlier and that will put us in a good posture to complete work earlier than planned prior to moving the core stage for Artemis II into the full integrated stack over in High Bay 3,” said Chad Bryant, deputy manager of the NASA SLS Stages Office. “This gives us an opportunity to go in and learn how to rotate, lift and move the core stage into the high bay.”

This move also doubles the footprint of useable space within the VAB, giving engineers access to both High Bay 2 and High Bay 3 simultaneously, while also freeing up space at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to continue work on the individual elements for future SLS core stages.

High Bay 2 has a long history of supporting NASA exploration programs: during Apollo, High Bay 2, one of four high bays inside the VAB, was used to stack the Saturn V rocket. During the Space Shuttle Program, the high bay was used for external tank checkout and storage and as an extra storage area for the shuttle.

Under the new assembly model beginning with Artemis III, all of the major structures for the SLS core stage will continue to be fully produced and manufactured at NASA Michoud. Upon completion of manufacturing and thermal protection system application, the engine section will be shipped to Kennedy for final outfitting.

“Core stage 3 marks a significant change in the way we build core stages,” said Steve Wofford, manager of the SLS Stages Office. “The vertical capability in High Bay 2 allows us to perform parallel processing from the top to bottom of the stage. It’s a much more efficient way to build core stages. This new capability will streamline final production efforts, allowing our team to have 360-degree access to the stage, both internally and externally.”

The fully-assembled core stage for Artemis II arrived on July 23, 2024, at Kennedy, where it remained horizontal inside the VAB transfer aisle until its recent lift into the newly-outfitted high bay.

Teams at NASA Michoud are outfitting the remaining core stage elements for Artemis III and preparing to horizontally join them. The four RS-25 engines for the Artemis III mission are complete at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and will be transported to NASA Kennedy in 2025. Major core stage and Exploration Upper Stage structures are in work at NASA Michoud for Artemis IV and beyond.

NASA is working to land the first woman, first person of color and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with the Orion spacecraft, supporting ground systems, advanced spacesuits and rovers, the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts and supplies to the Moon in a single launch.

Source: NASA.Gov

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The Latest Update on Humanity's First Lunar Space Station...

Thales Alenia Space

Gateway: Wired for Deep Space (News Release)

A maze of cables and sensors snakes through a major piece of Gateway, humanity’s first space station around the Moon, during a key testing phase earlier this year to ensure that the lunar-orbiting science lab can withstand the harsh conditions of deep space.

HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost) is one of four Gateway modules where international teams of astronauts will live, conduct science and prepare for missions to the lunar South Pole region. Other elements will be provided by the European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre of the United Arab Emirates. The Canadian Space Agency is providing Gateway’s Canadarm3 advanced robotics system.

HALO is provided by Northrop Grumman and their subcontractor, Thales Alenia Space. The module completed testing in Turin, Italy, before its expected arrival to the United States in 2025. Northrop Grumman will complete final outfitting of HALO and integrate it with Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element for launch ahead of the Artemis IV mission on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Maxar Technologies

The Next SLS Launch Is Now Targeted for Spring of 2026...

NASA

NASA Shares Orion Heat Shield Findings, Updates Artemis Moon Missions (News Release)

Through the Artemis campaign, NASA will land the next American astronauts and first international astronaut on the South Pole region of the Moon. On Thursday, NASA announced the latest updates to its lunar exploration plans.

Experts discussed results of NASA’s investigation into its Orion spacecraft heat shield after it experienced an unexpected loss of charred material during re-entry of the Artemis I uncrewed test flight. For the Artemis II crewed test flight, engineers will continue to prepare Orion with the heat shield already attached to the capsule. The agency also announced that it is now targeting April 2026 for Artemis II and mid-2027 for Artemis III.

The updated mission timelines also reflect time to address the Orion environmental control and life support systems.

“The Artemis campaign is the most daring, technically challenging, collaborative, international endeavor humanity has ever set out to do,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “We have made significant progress on the Artemis campaign over the past four years, and I’m proud of the work our teams have done to prepare us for this next step forward in exploration as we look to learn more about Orion’s life support systems to sustain crew operations during Artemis II. We need to get this next test flight right. That’s how the Artemis campaign succeeds.”

The agency’s decision comes after an extensive investigation of an Artemis I heat shield issue showed that the Artemis II heat shield can keep the crew safe during the planned mission with changes to Orion’s trajectory as it enters Earth’s atmosphere and slows from nearly 25,000 mph to about 325 mph before its parachutes unfurl for safe splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

“Throughout our process to investigate the heat shield phenomenon and determine a forward path, we’ve stayed true to NASA’s core values; safety and data-driven analysis remained at the forefront,” said Catherine Koerner, associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The updates to our mission plans are a positive step toward ensuring we can safely accomplish our objectives at the Moon and develop the technologies and capabilities needed for crewed Mars missions.”

NASA will continue stacking its SLS (Space Launch System) rocket elements, which began in November, and prepare it for integration with Orion for Artemis II.

Throughout the fall months, NASA, along with an independent review team, established the technical cause of an issue seen after the uncrewed Artemis I test flight in which charred material on the heat shield wore away differently than expected. Extensive analysis, including from more than 100 tests at unique facilities across the country, determined that the heat shield on Artemis I did not allow for enough of the gases generated inside a material called Avcoat to escape, which caused some of the material to crack and break off. Avcoat is designed to wear away as it heats up, and is a key material in the thermal protection system that guards Orion and its crew from the nearly 5,000° Fahrenheit of temperatures that are generated when Orion returns from the Moon through Earth’s atmosphere.

Although a crew was not inside Orion during Artemis I, data shows that the temperature inside Orion remained comfortable and safe had crew been aboard.

Engineers are already assembling and integrating the Orion spacecraft for Artemis III based on lessons learned from Artemis I and implementing enhancements to how heat shields for crewed returns from lunar landing missions are manufactured to achieve uniformity and consistent permeability. The skip entry is needed for return from speeds expected for lunar landing missions.

“Victor, Christina, Jeremy and I have been following every aspect of this decision and we are thankful for the openness of NASA to weigh all options and make decisions in the best interest of human spaceflight. We are excited to fly Artemis II and continue paving the way for sustained human exploration of the Moon and Mars,” said Reid Wiseman, NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander. “We were at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida recently and put eyes on our SLS rocket boosters, the core stage and the Orion spacecraft. It is inspiring to see the scale of this effort, to meet the people working on this machine, and we can’t wait to fly it to the Moon.”

Wiseman, along with NASA astronauts Victor Glover and Christina Koch and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will fly aboard the 10-day Artemis II test flight around the Moon and back. The flight will provide valuable data about Orion systems needed to support crew on their journey to deep space and bring them safely home, including air revitalization in the cabin, manual flying capabilities, and how humans interact with other hardware and software in the spacecraft.

With Artemis, NASA will explore more of the Moon than ever before, learn how to live and work farther away from home, and prepare for future human exploration of the Red Planet. NASA’s SLS, Exploration Ground Systems and Orion spacecraft, along with the Human Landing System, next-generation spacesuits, Gateway lunar space station, and future rovers are NASA’s foundation for deep space exploration.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Glenn Benson

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the first test flight of the @NASA_Orion spacecraft. It flew on a Delta IV rocket that was powered, in part, by three RS-68 engines tested by @L3HarrisTech (formerly known as Aerojet Rocketdyne) on the B-2 side of the Thad Cochran Test Stand at… pic.twitter.com/WNMzVxhCaQ

— Stennis Space Center (@NASAStennis) December 5, 2024

The Latest Update on Humanity's First Lunar Space Station...

Maxar Space Systems

Gateway Tops Off (News Release)

Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element is now equipped with its xenon and liquid fuel tanks.

Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element, which will make the lunar space station the most powerful solar electric spacecraft ever flown, recently received the xenon and liquid fuel tanks for its journey to and around the Moon.

Technicians in Palo Alto, California carefully installed a piece of equipment that will house the tanks. Once fully assembled and launched to lunar orbit, the Power and Propulsion Element’s roll-out solar arrays – together about the size of an American football field endzone – will harness the Sun’s energy to energize xenon gas and produce the thrust to get Gateway to the Moon’s orbit where it will await the arrival of its first crew on the Artemis IV mission.

The Power and Propulsion Element will also carry the European Radiation Sensors Array science experiment provided by ESA (European Space Agency) and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), one of three Gateway science experiments that will study solar and cosmic radiation. The little understood phenomenon is a chief concern for humans and hardware journeying to deep-space destinations like Mars and beyond.

The Power and Propulsion Element is managed out of NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio and built by Maxar Space Systems of Palo Alto, California.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Maxar Space Systems


NASA / Maxar Space Systems