In a 3D animation, the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) presents an exterior tour of Gateway; as well as some of its components.
The space agency visualized details of the Power and Propulsion Element that will make Gateway the most powerful solar-electric spacecraft ever launched.
This module will use the Sun’s energy to power the space station’s subsystems and ionize the xenon gas responsible for producing the thrust that will maintain Gateway’s unique polar orbit around the Moon.
They also presented the Gateway command and control nexus that provides communications between Earth and the lunar surface, with the Lunar Link system provided by ESA (European Space Agency). Its name is HALO, (Habitation and Logistics Outpost).
This component will host life support systems, including exercise equipment and scientific payload banks.
Another primary system will be Lunar I-Hab, which will house environmental control and life support systems, bedrooms and a kitchen.
Also detailed in the audiovisual animation, this system will be provided by ESA with hardware contributions from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency).
Added to this is Lunar View, another from ESA, but its capabilities are for power and propulsion refueling, cargo storage and large windows. Describing each element of the video takes longer than watching it; but it is unacceptable not to share an invention that unites the scientific development of almost all continents.
In charge of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Center in the United Arab Emirates will be another part of Gateway: the Crew and Science Airlock. This is the element that will be responsible for transferring the crew and hardware from inside Gateway to the vacuum of space.
On the other hand, the Canadian Space Agency will provide the Canadarm3 advanced external robotic system.
The video also shows an Orion spacecraft docked to the crew and science airlock. It will carry international astronaut teams and three modules: Lunar I-Hab, Lunar View and the crew and science airlock.
Additionally, the Government-reference Human Landing System (HLS) is included, which will transport astronauts to and from the lunar South Pole region.
SpaceX and Blue Origin are contracted to provide Starship HLS and Blue Moon HLS, respectively.
To all of these will be added the Deep Space Logistics spacecraft that will carry cargo to Gateway to support the Artemis missions and other Gateway missions that will study solar and cosmic radiation.
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