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The Artemis program is being formed and has now gained new momentum with the agreement between NASA and ESA. According to space agencies, a partnership has been finalized that will aim to collaborate on Artemis Gateway. Therefore, the deal, signed on Tuesday, marks NASA’s first formal commitment to launch international crew members into the Lunar Quarter as part of the Artemis missions. It is there that Gateway, a lunar orbiter, will be built in the coming years with the collaboration of several countries.
In the image of what happened at the International Space Station (ISS), Artemis Gateway will serve as a meeting point for astronauts traveling to the orbit of the Moon.
Gateway, the spacecraft that can go to Mars
NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) have finalized an agreement to collaborate on Artemis Gateway. As mentioned, this orbiter will be integrated into modules and can be used by all countries wishing to participate in the Artemis program.
According to what has been described, this new space station will be much smaller than the ISS, this is because the Gateway will be conceived more as a place of passage than for long stays in the first phase.
As NASA says, the moon missions will have to go through the Portal:
It will serve as a meeting point for astronauts traveling to the lunar orbit before transiting to the low lunar orbit and the surface of the Moon.
Also, this orbiter's target goes over the bridge to the Moon. In the future, this set of space modules will serve as a transport for astronauts to Mars. Indeed, they could also serve to go beyond the red planet, into the space exploration that may arise.
What has been agreed between NASA and ESA on the Gateway?
As we can see in the NASA statement, the agreement signed this Tuesday implies an important contribution from ESA to the lunar orbiter. This is because the European Space Agency will be responsible for the implementation of the accommodation and refueling modules.
The refueling module, NASA notes, "will include observation windows." In addition, ESA will also be responsible for "improving" the lunar communications. As we said, NASA wants the Moon to have 4G communications. Therefore, these communications will initially be tested and improved with the astronauts who are at the Gateway.
“The second contribution, called ESPRIT, will offer improved communication, refueling capabilities and a window similar to the European Summit's observatory on the International Space Station. Both contributions are in line with what was approved by ESA member states during the Space19 + Ministerial Council held last year in Seville.
He explained his contribution to ESA.
In addition to the modules, ESA will supply the hardware and will be responsible for the elements provided by the Gateway. However, the collaboration goes beyond the lunar sphere, as the Artemis program is much more than just a Gateway.
As such, the two agencies' plan is for ESA to provide two additional European service modules for the Orion probe. These, in particular, will be the ones that will power the spacecraft in future Artemis missions. In addition, ESA will be responsible for supplying air and water to the Orion crew.
Artistic Impression of the Orion Spacecraft on the Moon Orion is NASA's next spacecraft
This is what the Gateway looks like
The modules that ESA plans to build for NASA's lunar orbiter have already been presented. However, they will still receive, in due course, contributions from the Japanese agency JAXA regarding the details of the Sala Internacional (I-Hab) form. Furthermore, NASA's idea is that the contribution to the Gateway is international, just as it was done with the ISS. Therefore, in the future, we will certainly see new agreements with other space agencies.
The Gateway is designed to be complemented by additional capabilities provided by our international partners to support sustainable exploration. The Gateway will give us access to explore the lunar surface more than ever. And we are delighted that partners such as ESA are joining us in these innovative efforts.
He referred to Kathy Lueders, NASA's associate administrator for the direction of human operations and exploration missions.
Essential modules for life support and science on board
According to NASA, the room module will also house the outpost's Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS). This will have accommodation for internal and external science experiments and provide additional space for the crew's work and life.
The ECLSS I-Hab will enhance the capabilities of the Gateway life support system provided by the docked Orion. This will allow for longer stays at the Gateway and support more robust Artemis missions on the lunar surface.
Said the American space agency.
NASA is already starting to develop the first two components of the Gateway. They are not built directly by the space agency, but other companies have been hired to build "the integrated power and propulsion element and housing and logistic outpost, as well as logistical supply for the Gateway," they report.
ERSA and HERMES data will be shared between all collaborating agencies. However, the lunar orbiter will not only serve as a crossing point. Two small weather stations, one from NASA and the other from ESA, have already been chosen as the first scientific investigations.
ESA is contributing a radiation sensor station known as ERSA, while NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center will ship the heliophysical and environmental radiation measurement suite, also called HERMES. This second project is currently under construction.
As NASA says, the small stations will share the work. ERSA will monitor space radiation at higher energies with a focus on the protection of astronauts, while HERMES will deal with the lower energies critical to scientific investigations of the Sun.
In short…
The Gateway is a very ambitious project. However, with the collaboration of other space agencies, NASA will be able to implement part of its Artemis program. Space exploration is becoming increasingly international, although it is gradually opening up to private companies as well.
Indeed, the world seems poised to learn more about the universe and we are ever more daring in space exploration.
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