HALO module's arrival marks a milestone in lunar gateway project
The HALO module, a crucial element of the first Gateway space station being developed in collaboration with several international space agencies, including NASA and ESA, has just arrived in Arizona from Turin. This marks another significant step in preparing for manned missions to the Moon.
Gateway is a planned large space station that will be placed in orbit around the Moon. It will be the first station beyond low Earth orbit. Its role will be similar to that of the current International Space Station, serving as a communication hub, scientific laboratory, and living module for astronauts as part of the Artemis programme, which includes manned missions to the Moon and Mars. Gateway is a joint international project being developed by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai (MBRSC).
The first habitation module for astronauts on the Moon
The key component, the heart of the Gateway station - the HALO module (Habitation and Logistics Outpost), the first of two pressurised modules, has already reached Gilbert, Arizona, after a transatlantic journey from Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy, where it was manufactured. It will now be outfitted by the main contractor, Northrop Grumman, before being integrated with the Power and Propulsion Element at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Both modules are scheduled to be launched into lunar orbit aboard the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket before the Artemis IV mission.
The module is a vital component of the entire future human lunar station. HALO will support astronauts visiting Gateway and serve as the command and control centre for the space station. It will provide astronauts with space to live, work, and conduct scientific research. It will perform functions such as command and control, data handling, energy storage, power distribution, thermal regulation, and communication and tracking using the Lunar Link system provided by the European Space Agency (ESA).
HALO will be equipped with docking ports for vehicles such as the Orion spacecraft, lunar landers, and logistics modules. It will also enable research and technology demonstrations in the challenging conditions of space. As NASA reports, the nearly completed HALO module is a significant step in building Gateway, a key component of NASA's Artemis campaign aimed at advancing science and exploration on and around the Moon and preparing for the next major step: the first manned missions to Mars.
The future of space exploration
According to NASA, Gateway, built in collaboration with industry and international partners, will support sustainable exploration of the Moon, serve as a platform for science and international collaboration, and act as a testbed for technologies and systems needed for future manned missions to Mars.
The first manned mission of the Artemis programme, Artemis III, aims to land humans on the Moon and is planned for 2025 or 2026. Astronauts on this mission will land at the Moon's South Pole, a new landing site compared to the Apollo missions. This will be the first return of humans to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. The mission's goal is not only to study the Moon but also to develop technologies that will be needed for further expeditions, including to Mars.
