NASA’s Gateway project takes a major leap as the HALO module, a future home for Artemis astronauts, arrives in Arizona for final outfitting.
With life support, command systems, and thermal controls being installed, HALO is preparing to serve as a critical link for lunar exploration. Excitement marked its arrival, celebrated with VR tours and NASA leaders’ speeches.
Gateway Progress: HALO Arrives for Final Testing
NASA is making steady progress on its plans to collaborate with commercial and international partners through the Gateway program. A key milestone was reached when the primary structure of HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost) arrived at Northrop Grumman’s facility in Gilbert, Arizona. There, the module will undergo its final outfitting and extensive verification testing.
HALO will serve as a living and working space for Artemis astronauts, supporting scientific research in lunar orbit. It will be outfitted with critical systems, including command and control, data handling, energy storage, power distribution, and thermal regulation.
Celebrating a Milestone: HALO’s Arrival Event
After traveling from Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy, where it was assembled, HALO arrived in Arizona on April 1. To celebrate the achievement, NASA and Northrop Grumman hosted an event on April 24, highlighting the module’s significance for future lunar exploration. The event featured remarks from NASA and Northrop Grumman leadership, including NASA’s Acting Associate Administrator for Exploration Systems Development Lori Glaze, Gateway Program Manager Jon Olansen, and NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik.
Attendees, including Senior Advisor to the NASA Administrator Todd Ericson, elected officials, and local industry and academic leaders, toured the facility, viewed the HALO module, and experienced virtual reality demonstrations.
Preparing HALO for Lunar Missions
While the module is in Arizona, HALO engineers and technicians will install propellant lines for fluid transfer and electrical lines for power and data transfer. Radiators will be attached for the thermal control system, as well as racks to house life support hardware, power equipment, flight computers, and avionics systems. Several mechanisms will be mounted to enable docking of the Orion spacecraft, lunar landers, and visiting spacecraft.
HALO’s Communication Power: ESA’s Lunar Link
Launching on top of HALO is the ESA (European Space Agency)-provided Lunar Link system, which will enable communication between crewed and robotic systems on the Moon and to mission control on Earth. Once these systems are installed, the components will be tested as an integrated spacecraft and subjected to thermal vacuum, acoustics, vibration, and shock testing to ensure the spacecraft is ready to perform in the harsh conditions of deep space.
Propelling Forward: Building the Power and Propulsion Element
In tandem with HALO’s outfitting at Northrop Grumman, the Power and Propulsion Element – a powerful solar electric propulsion system – is being assembled at Maxar Space Systems in Palo Alto, California. Solar electric propulsion uses energy collected from solar panels converted to electricity to create xenon ions, then accelerates them to more than 50,000 miles per hour to create thrust that propels the spacecraft.
Assembling the Heart of Propulsion: Critical Components Come Together
The element’s central cylinder, which resembles a large barrel, is being attached to the propulsion tanks, and avionics shelves are being installed. The first of three 12-kilowatt thrusters has been delivered to NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland for acceptance testing before delivery to Maxar and integration with the Power and Propulsion Element later this year.
