NASA and Europe officially sign the agreement for the construction of the lunar orbital base



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Gateway Station

On Tuesday, NASA announced that it has formally partnered with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop the Gateway, the space station it plans to launch into orbit around the Moon.

Moving forward, Gateway Station – which is expected to enable long-term lunar exploration by serving as a middle ground between space and the lunar surface – will be an international venture, according to a NASA press release. And after helping establish a human presence on and around the Moon, tantalizingly, the joint project could help both NASA and ESA eventually reach Mars.

Moving quickly

Construction of the Gateway space station could begin by 2022. NASA has already assigned tasks to contractors including SpaceX and Maxar Technologies, but will now share the remaining cargo with ESA. ESA has agreed to provide new modules for the Gateway and the spacecraft that will travel to and from it, as well as improving lunar communications and a system to refuel the Gateway.

“In a short time, we will move human spaceflight from low Earth orbit to the moon for the first time since 1972,” NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine wrote in a blog post for the agency.

And there’s more

In her blog post, Bridenstine hinted that further international agreements in support of the Artemis program will soon be announced

“This partnership leverages the exceptional cooperation established by the International Space Station as we push forward to the Moon,” Bridenstine said in the press release. “Gateway will continue to expand NASA’s cooperation with international partners such as ESA, ensuring that the Artemis program results in safe and sustainable exploration of the moon after the initial human lunar landing and beyond.”

READ MORE: International partnerships of NASA, Artemis Team to Shape Lunar Exploration [NASA]

More on the Gateway: NASA hires SpaceX to supply the Lunar Gateway space station

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