NASA Awards Gateway Launch to SpaceX

NASA announced it has selected Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) to launch the foundational elements of the Gateway,a lunar orbital waystation to facilitate deep space missions, including the Artemis human exploration missions to the Moon.On the Gateway, which is 1/6th the size of the ISS,astronauts will prepare for landing on the lunar surface and NASA,its international and commercial partners will conduct unprecedented deep space science and technology investigations. The foundational elements of this small space station are the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE),built by Maxar Technology, and the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO), built by Northrop Grumman Space Systems. The PPE is a solar electric propulsion spacecraft that provides power,high speed communications, attitude control and propulsion that enables Gateway to reach various lunar orbits for maximum access to the lunar surface. The HALO is the pressurised living quarters for visiting astronauts, providing command and control and docking ports.As well,it supports science investigations;distributes power;provides communications to visiting vehicles and lunar surface expeditions, while supplementing Orion's life support systems. The Orion spacecraft will carry astronauts up to the Gateway, which will orbit the Moon at a maximum distance of tens of thousands of miles from the Moon.* The SpaceX Falcon-9 Heavy rocket will be used to launch the Gateway elements for around 331.8 million dollars.The launch will be no sooner than May 2024.* Maxar Technology Inc (MAXR), Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC)