{"id":12492,"date":"2020-05-07T00:29:36","date_gmt":"2020-05-06T16:29:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/nasa-plans-to-launch-first-two-gateway-elements-on-same-rocket\/"},"modified":"2020-05-07T00:29:36","modified_gmt":"2020-05-06T16:29:36","slug":"nasa-plans-to-launch-first-two-gateway-elements-on-same-rocket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/nasa-plans-to-launch-first-two-gateway-elements-on-same-rocket\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA plans to launch first two Gateway elements on same rocket"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Artist\u2019s illustration of the Gateway space station in lunar orbit. Credit: NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Aiming to reduce risk and costs, NASA has decided to launch the first two modules of the Gateway station in lunar orbit on the same heavy-lift rocket in 2023, rather than fly them on separate rockets and dock them together in deep space, according to the the agency\u2019s chief human spaceflight manager.<\/p>\n

NASA has not selected a rocket to carry the two modules into space, but the massive payload could fit on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with a lengthened payload fairing currently in development to accommodate large U.S. military satellites, according to Doug Loverro, NASA\u2019s associate administrator for human exploration and operations.<\/p>\n

In an interview, Loverro told Spaceflight Now that launching the Gateway\u2019s Power and Propulsion Element and the Habitation and Logistics Outpost \u2014 known as the PPE and the HALO \u2014 will save money and reduce technical risk on the program.<\/p>\n

Agency managers previously intended to launch the PPE module and the HALO on separate rockets in 2022 and 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we had was a Power and Propulsion Element that had its own launch on a Falcon Heavy, and we had a HALO with its own launch on a Falcon Heavy, and they were then going to have to have independent propulsion systems, and independent docking systems, and independent power and guidance and control systems,\u201d Loverro said. \u201cThey were both going to have to independently get their way to the moon and then (autonomously) dock with each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then the complexity of routing all of the power for the long-term for the Gateway through that docking mechanism, and fluids and other things that we needed to do, all made that system quite complex,\u201d Loverro said. \u201cWe realized that if we could put it all together on the ground, we got rid of all that risk and reduced the cost, not just because we saved a launch vehicle but because we got rid of a whole bunch of added complexity in the system.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Gateway is a mini-space station NASA plans to build in an elliptical orbit around the moon that swings as close as 1,000 miles from the lunar surface about once per week. The Gateway will act as a stopover and safe haven for astronauts heading for the moon\u2019s surface in NASA\u2019s Artemis lunar program.<\/p>\n

NASA is designing the mini-station to accommodate myriad scientific experiments and engineering demonstrations required for more ambitious ventures deeper into the solar system, and eventually Mars.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Artist\u2019s concept of a Falcon Heavy rocket with a lengthened payload shroud and a new mobile gantry on launch pad 39A at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: SpaceX<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Loverro said NASA originally decided to launch the two Gateway modules on different rockets because of limited volume available on existing rockets, such as SpaceX\u2019s Falcon Heavy launcher.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt turned out that under the Air Force proposal for their follow-on launch services, I knew of the fact that new fairings were being asked for in order to meet the DoD (Department of Defense) needs that would go ahead and meet the needs of that,\u201d said Loverro, a veteran manager of national security space programs who joined NASA late last year. \u201cSo I asked the team to go look at that. We verified that, indeed, it worked and it fit in.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new plan for a single launch in 2023 buys time for engineers developing the PPE, which will be built by Maxar Technologies. Northrop Grumman is charged with developing the HALO module, which will provide limited living quarters for astronauts on the way to the moon.<\/p>\n

The revamped Gateway architecture also makes the engineering job easier because the modules can be connected together on the ground.<\/p>\n

The PPE will be fitted with large roll-out solar arrays to generate electricity. The propulsion system will consist of high-power solar-electric thrusters developed by Aerojet Rocketdyne.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took the schedule pressure off the PPE so we are now able to go ahead and integrate any changes to the PPE to make it even a better longer-term solution by changing the momentum wheels that we use for it, the power handling system, providing more access for some of the robotic arms will be used,\u201d Loverro said. \u201cSo we were able to actually make the changes that really create a better long-term solution.<\/p>\n

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine approved the change.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal is to increase the probability of success and minimize risk, and at the same time reduce cost,\u201d Bridenstine told Spaceflight Now. \u201cThis was a concept that Doug looked into and determined was the right approach.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is one of those incredibly rare situations in program management where you look at a problem, and you add in one new piece, and suddenly it makes the job easier, cheaper, less risky, and with better results,\u201d Loverro said. \u201cIt was a no-brainer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Loverro said the PPE and HALO modules will launch on a commercial rocket.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will compete at the time for what launch vehicles might be available,\u201d Loverro said. \u201cWe needed to verify that at least one would be available for it, but based upon what the Air Force is asking for under their contract, there should multiple available at the time. That will be a competition that we run some time in the near future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other launchers that could carry the integrated PPE and HALO modules into space include United Launch Alliance\u2019s Vulcan Centaur and Blue Origin\u2019s New Glenn. But SpaceX\u2019s Falcon Heavy is the only one of the three currently operational.<\/p>\n

NASA envisions the Gateway as a staging area for expeditions to the lunar surface, but the Artemis program\u2019s first moon landing mission in 2024 is not expected to utilize the Gateway, Loverro and Bridenstine said. Instead, a commercial lunar lander will launch on a commercial rocket into a similar high-altitude orbit around the moon, where an Orion crew capsule will dock with four astronauts after departing Earth aboard NASA\u2019s heavy-lift Space Launch System vehicle.<\/p>\n

Last week, NASA selected Blue Origin, Dynetics and SpaceX to continue working on their lunar lander concepts. The agency plans to review the three concepts in early 2021, then select one to proceed into full-scale development for the Artemis 3 mission in 2024.<\/p>\n

The shorter-term goal set by the Trump administration for NASA\u2019s Artemis program is to land the first woman and the next man on the moon by the end of 2024. Four years later, in 2028, NASA intends to have a \u201csustainable\u201d infrastructure in place to allow regular landings on the moon with commercial and international partners, including reusable landers and longer-term stays on the lunar surface.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe two challenges we have, one is to go fast, and one is to go sustainably,\u201d Bridenstine said. \u201cWhen we think about a sustainable presence at the moon, we absolutely need a Gateway. The Gateway gives us the ability to reuse landers, over and over again, which drives down cost and it increases access. The Gateway gives us access to different orbits around the moon, so we can get to the north pole, the south pole, the equatorial regions, and everything in between. The Gateway is also transformable. We can use it eventually for our ship to Mars.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency plan to participate in the Gateway project, contributing a robotic arm, refueling and communications hardware, and habitation and research capacity. Those international elements will launch after the PPE and HALO are placed into lunar orbit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Gateway gives us the opportunity to do science, and it gives us a lot of credibility with our international partners, who are very interested in helping us build out the Gateway,\u201d Bridenstine said. \u201cI just want to emphasize the Gateway, we are 100 percent committed to the Gateway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dan Hartman, NASA\u2019s Gateway program manager, said in March that the Gateway will be capable of supporting a crew of four astronauts for up to 30 days. With a pre-positioned logistics module, that mission duration could be doubled to 60 days.<\/p>\n

NASA has contracted with SpaceX to deliver logistics to the Gateway using an extended version of its Dragon spacecraft launched by a Falcon Heavy rocket.<\/p>\n

Despite the station\u2019s selling points, taking the Gateway out of the critical path for a lunar landing in 2024 made sense, Bridenstine said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is also true that we\u2019re 100 percent committed to getting to the moon as fast as possible,\u201d he said. \u201cSo anything that is not necessary, we intend to remove from that path for speed. So the first moon landing, we\u2019re intending not to use the Gateway.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat means that we will not have the Gateway in place for the first landing on the surface of the moon. The second time when we land humans on the moon, we absolutely want to have the Gateway in the mix because we need to land on the moon by 2024, and we need to have a sustainable presence by 2028.\u201d<\/p>\n

Email the author.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Artist\u2019s illustration of the Gateway space station in lunar orbit. Credit: NASA Aiming to reduce risk and costs, NASA has decided to launch the first two modules of the Gateway station in lunar orbit on the same heavy-lift rocket in 2023, rather than fly them on separate rockets and dock them together in deep space, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[304,678,419,1884,1545,25,1084,625],"class_list":["post-12492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-artemis","tag-falcon-heavy","tag-gateway","tag-halo","tag-human-spaceflight","tag-launch","tag-maxar","tag-moon"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12492"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12492"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12492\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}