NASA just contracted SpaceX to launch the agency's initial elements for the lunar Gateway, according to a new press release shared on NASA's official website.
SpaceX will launch NASA's Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) and Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) — both crucial to the early stages of the forthcoming Gateway, according to the agency press release. The https://interestingengineering.com/the-lunar-gateway-is-nasas-stepping-stone-to-lunar-habitation">Gateway will support the ability for astronaut missions to build a sustainable presence as part of NASA's Artemis endeavor.
Once PPE and HALO are assembled on Earth, the two projects are slated to launch together "no earlier than May 2024 on a Falcon Heavy rocket," according to the press release. The Falcon Heavy lunar package will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, in Florida.
Combined, NASA's cost is roughly $331.8 million — including both the launch service and miscellaneous mission costs.
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