Northrop, CSA Repurpose Gateway Work for 3 Lunar Base Missions as NASA Shifts Surfaceward
Updated
Updated · SpaceNews · Aug 8
Northrop, CSA Repurpose Gateway Work for 3 Lunar Base Missions as NASA Shifts Surfaceward
2 articles · Updated · SpaceNews · Aug 8
Summary
Northrop Grumman said it will turn HALO hardware and avionics built for NASA’s Gateway into three Lunar Infrastructure Demo payloads slated to reach the moon in Phase One of the agency’s Moon Base plan through 2029.
NASA said the payloads would fly on future Commercial Lunar Payload Services missions after its strategy shifted from an orbital Gateway focus to surface operations, though contracting details and costs are still being finalized.
The LID missions are intended to test power, data, thermal, autonomy and communications systems that can survive lunar night and support persistent infrastructure near the moon’s south pole, but Northrop gave no launch dates or payload specifics.
The Canadian Space Agency separately said it is redirecting Canadarm3 technologies toward lunar-surface uses and possible commercial space stations in low Earth orbit; MDA Space’s 2024 contract for the project is worth C$1 billion.