Tag: Gateway
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ESA Reviews Future of Gateway Contributions Following NASA Program Pause
The European Space Agency (ESA) is evaluating the future of its planned contributions to NASA’s Gateway lunar space station following changes to the Artemis programme that have placed the station’s development on hold. ESA officials said the agency intends to continue work on several Gateway-related projects while examining how the technologies could be adapted for…
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MDA Space advances Gateway robotic arm despite funding uncertainty
Will MDA Space complete the Gateway robotic arm amid funding uncertainty? MDA Space is pressing forward with development of the Canadarm3 robotic system for NASA’s lunar Gateway station while navigating ongoing discussions with the Canadian Space Agency about program continuity and funding levels. The Toronto-based contractor confirmed work continues on the 8.5-meter manipulator system despite…
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This is my third Orion launch, but it feels totally different
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla.—This will be the third time I have observed NASA’s Orion spacecraft take flight. But with this one, for the first time, am I genuinely hopeful about the future of the space agency and its plans to build a station on the surface of the Moon. The two previous flights, in 2014…
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DLR to Build Human Exploration Control Center for Moon and Mars Missions
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) will establish a new Human Exploration Control Center (HECC) at its Oberpfaffenhofen site near Munich to support future human and robotic missions to the Moon and Mars. The facility will expand the existing German Space Operations Center and is intended to manage complex, long-duration missions beyond low Earth orbit. Officials…
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White House budget seeks to end SLS, Orion, and Lunar Gateway programs
The White House released a “skinny” version of its budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 on Friday, including financial information for all federal agencies. A “skinny” budget simply means that while the document contains top-line numbers for agencies and their programs, it does not provide much in the way of specific allocations. The document was…
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Initial Gateway elements beginning systems integration while NASA works on a launch date
The two elements that will make up the initial Gateway capability for NASA’s Artemis campaign are getting ready for systems installations this year and next year, as the space agency reviews progress to set a new launch date. The Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) and Habitation and Logistics Module (HALO) are being constructed on different…
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First astronaut missions to the Moon since 1972 delayed due to heat shield questions, hardware readiness
The Artemis 2 crew, standing in from of their Artemis spacecraft, discusses their planned around-the-moon flight with reporters at the Kennedy Space Center. Left to right: commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now. A quartet of astronauts will have to wait until next year before their…
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NG-16 arrives at ISS, Northrop Grumman talks Cygnus’ future use
After a 36 hour phasing profile, the S.S. Ellison Onizuka cargo ship, part of Northrop Grumman’s NG-16 mission, has arrived at the International Space Station (ISS). Safely in the grip of Canadarm2, Cygnus was attached to the nadir port of the Unity (Node-1) module for the multi-month cargo delivery and removal process. Speaking before the…
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Canadarm3 collision avoidance AI solutions sought as operational needs solidify
With launch just five years away, the Gateway Exploration Robotics System — better known as Canadarm3 — has arrived at a critical point where its artificial intelligence system must be properly calibrated to meet the rigorous autonomous demands the Lunar Gateway project will impose upon it. The AI solutions sought for Canadarm3’s vision by MDA…
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Russia looks to China as new space exploration partner
The moon as seen from the International Space Station. Credit: Roscosmos Russia’s decision to partner with China on a planned lunar research station, and not join the U.S.-led Artemis moon program, was disappointing after more than two decades of cooperation on the International Space Station, says NASA’s top human spaceflight official. Russian and Chinese space…