Northrop Grumman Awarded Sole-Source Agreement to Build Gateway Habitat

Northrup Grumman has been chosen by NASA to build the Gateway habitat module as they were the only NextSTEP-2 competitor that could guarantee a 2024 module design and production delivery.

They will be modifying the Cygnus module that has already been used in resupplying the ISS since 2013 to become the minimal habitation module needed as a stopping point on astronauts journeying to the surface of the moon.

Tests were conducted on a full-scale mock up at Johnson Space Center, Texas outfitted with everything a crew would require such as life support systems, sleeping quarters, viewing window, science racks, etc. Four crew members simulated arriving at the habitat and going through two days’ worth of mission related and general upkeep tasks. The testing received positive feedback.