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Corrosion Found in Lunar Gateway Modules as NASA Pauses Program for Lunar Surface Focus
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman confirmed corrosion issues in the HALO and I-HAB modules of the Lunar Gateway during congressional testimony. The program has been paused to focus on lunar surface activities, with repairs underway on HALO. Stakeholders are exploring repurposing the hardware for surface applications.
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NASA confirmed during congressional testimony that corrosion affects both the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) and I-HAB modules of the Lunar Gateway space station project. This issue would have delayed, probably beyond 2030, the application of Gateway. Half a dozen sources who worked on or near the Lunar Gateway program confirmed to Ars Technica that the corrosion was real and serious.
Northrop Grumman, the primary contractor for HALO, acknowledged the problem and said it is completing repairs using NASA-approved processes after a manufacturing irregularity. The company expects to finish these repairs by the end of the third quarter.
The European Space Agency attributed the issue to a “combination of factors,” including materials. “Following the identification of corrosion on HALO, a comprehensive investigation was promptly initiated,” a European Space Agency spokesperson said. ” After the issue was discovered, the European Space Agency established a “tiger team” to investigate.
“Based on the investigation and available data, the corrosion issue was understood to be technically manageable and did not constitute a showstopper for I‑HAB, which was, in any case, in better conditions than HALO from [a] corrosion point of view,” the spokesperson said.
The I-HAB module remains under construction and has not yet been delivered to NASA. Thales Alenia Space, which built the primary structure of HALO for Northrop Grumman and is building the I-HAB module along with a future communications and refueling module known as ESPRIT, has not yet provided a detailed comment.
