NASA may have sidelined the Lunar Gateway for a return mission to the Moon, but it is not stopping the momentum. NASA has awarded several contracts for the Lunar Gateway including the most recent one to SpaceX. This demonstrates the growing capabilities of New Space companies to capture contracts and complete missions.
“This contract award is another critical piece of our plan to return to the Moon sustainably. The Gateway is the cornerstone of the long-term Artemis architecture and this deep space commercial cargo capability integrates yet another American industry partner into our plans for human exploration at the Moon in preparation for a future mission to Mars.”
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine in a press release statement about the award to SpaceX.
NASA Awarded SpaceX the first Artemis Gateway Logistics Services (GLS) contract. The award for resupply services to the Gateway will require delivery of goods to a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO). Not sure what a NRHO orbit is? A NRHO is a highly elliptical orbit that takes about 7 days for each orbit. Want some more details, just click here: Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO). There are a few options for NRHO orbits, but NASA is leaning towards the L2 9:2 lunar synodic resonant southerly Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) which would be the likely location of the lunar Gateway. A simplification of the orbit is shown below.
Cargo and payloads would be delivered to to the Gateway in NRHO above the moon. Deliveries would be made with the he Logistics Module (LM). The acronym LM may be slightly confusing for some people familiar with the Apollo Missions done fifty years earlier. The LM for the Apollo Missions was the “Lunar Module”. (Note LM “Lunar Module” was shortened from LEM “Lunar Excursion Module”)
Delivery criteria
Based on the 2019 NASA draft RFP document (GLS-RQMT-001) the Logistics Module (LM) will deliver a minimum 3400 kg (7496 lb) pressurized payload and cargo each mission to the Gateway under the NASA GLS contract. In addition to the the pressurized cargo, the LM will also deliver a minimum 1000 kg (2205 lb) unpressurized cargo and payloads per mission to the Gateway.
The proposed Canadian robotic arm (Canadarm3) would assist with unloading unpressurized cargo. The actual delivery of Robotic Arm was originally excluded as a potential baseline mission for cargo delivery as the mass of the the ISS Canadarm2 was 1,497Kg and 17 m long. The CSA concept for the Canadarm3 will be less than 900Kg and only 9 m because of the smaller size of the Lunar Gateway so it might also be considered for one of the first cargo delivery mission.
LM would also be expected to rendezvous and dock to the Gateway as a Visiting Vehicle (VV) autonomously. This is similar to the improved docking methods being used and refined for docking with the International Space Station. The RFP actually requested the ability to remain docked for up to three years without relying on crew, power, environmental control, or thermal control. Contrary to this RFP requirement, the NASA award announcement only released the need to for the cargo spacecraft will stay at the Gateway for six to 12 months at a time.
Meet Dragon XL
Gateway Logistics Model SpaceX will utilize the recently disclosed DragonXL to meet the needs of the LM or Logistics module.
“Returning to the Moon and supporting future space exploration requires affordable delivery of significant amounts of cargo. Through our partnership with NASA, SpaceX has been delivering scientific research and critical supplies to the International Space Station since 2012, and we are honored to continue the work beyond Earth’s orbit and carry Artemis cargo to Gateway.”
SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell in the NASA press release March 2020
SpaceX will deliver critical pressurized and unpressurized cargo, science experiments and supplies to the Gateway, such as sample collection materials and other items the crew may need on the Gateway and during their expeditions on the lunar surface.
Similar to the contracts for delivery to the ISS, the contracts are firm-fixed price, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts for logistics services. There is a minimum guarantee of two missions with a maximum total value of $7 billion. The Gateway Logistics contracts allows NASA to order missions for as long as 12 years with a 15-year performance period and provides the ability to add new competitive providers.
These missions will support NASA’s plans for sustainable exploration with both international and commercial partners, while developing the experience and capabilities necessary to send humans to Mars.
“This is an exciting new chapter for human exploration. We are bringing the innovative thinking of commercial industry into our supply chain and helping ensure we’re able to support crews preparing for lunar surface expeditions by delivering the supplies they need ahead of time.”
Mark Wiese, Deep Space Logistics manager at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The services agreement seems like a logical choice as SpaceX has prior experience with cargo deliveries to the ISS. An upgraded Dragon XL. Likely SpaceX will look to leverage a Falcon Heavy in expendable mode if a high energy transfer is to be used. Based on calculations from the NASA Performance Vehicle Estimator, the Falcon Heavy in recoverable mode would not be able to support the mass of the current Crew Dragon plus payload to the Gateway.
Knowing that SpaceX likes avoid throwing away rockets and spacecraft, three likely options may be in works. First, Dragon XL likely would need to be refueled in orbit, like the future Starship. Second option, Dragon XL could be fitted with a high ISP propulsion electric engine. This would greatly improve the ability to deliver the material to the Gateway. Third option, SpaceX could use Starship with a Dragon XL inside for launch, and then use Dragon XL with less upgrades. Time will tell what the final direction SpaceX and NASA took.
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About The Author
Bill D’Zio
Co-Founder at WestEastSpace.com
Bill founded WestEastSpace.com after returning to China in 2019 to be supportive of his wife’s career. Moving to China meant leaving the US rocket/launch industry behind, as the USA and China don’t see eye to eye on cooperation in space. Bill has an engineering degree and is an experienced leader of international cross-functional teams with experience in evaluating, optimizing and awarding sub-contracts for complex systems. Bill has worked with ASME Components, Instrumentation and Controls (I&C) for use in launch vehicles, satellites, aerospace nuclear, and industrial applications.
Bill provides consulting services for engineering, supply chain, and project management.
(Correction/clarification 3/28/2020 – added clarification on original Apollo name for the LM)
A few people messaged me privately and asked for some links regarding more details on the Gateway. Here is Here is a technical presentation done by NASA on the subject: https://sservi.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/ger-downloads/day1/Whitley-LunarSurface-GER3-Workshop-20171130.pdf
This provides a good background on the gateway.
Also: A link regarding the mission orbital transfers done in a technical paper is included here:
https://descanso.jpl.nasa.gov/monograph/series12/LunarTraj–05Chapter4TransferstoLowLunarOrbits.pdf
If you want to look at Falcon Heavy Launch NASA Launch Services Program Launch Vehicle Performance Planning Assessment, you can find the link here: https://westeastspace.com/encyclopedia/falcon-heavy-launch-nasa-launch-services-program-launch-vehicle-performance-planning-assessment/