Three Northrop Grumman Demo Missions Target Tech for NASA Moon Base
Company Says Systems Reused From Existing Spacecraft Program Must Survive Lunar Night at South Pole
Northrop Grumman Corp. is developing three demonstration missions intended to test whether spacecraft systems can survive the two-week lunar night and support a sustained human outpost near the moon’s South Pole.
“As America embarks on the next chapter in human space exploration, our Lunar Infrastructure Demos will help turn the moon into a place where astronauts can stay, work and make discoveries that benefit humanity,”
David Schiller, NGC
The company said in a news release that the missions, designated LID-1, LID-2 and LID-3, are meant to help NASA “rapidly mature” the power and data systems needed for a future Moon Base under the Artemis program. The announcement does not include launch dates, mission costs, or the contract or funding vehicle under which the work is being performed.
According to the release, the LID missions will reuse hardware and technologies developed for the Habitation and Logistics Outpost, or HALO, a module Northrop Grumman has built for NASA’s Artemis lunar Gateway station. The company said HALO’s existing power, data and mechanical interfaces would let NASA “move with speed” toward gathering real performance data from the lunar surface.
The missions are designed to demonstrate that surface hardware can stay powered, protected and connected through the lunar night and through periods of shadow, information NASA would use to plan Artemis surface campaigns and longer-duration lunar operations, the company said.
“As America embarks on the next chapter in human space exploration, our Lunar Infrastructure Demos will help turn the moon into a place where astronauts can stay, work and make discoveries that benefit humanity,” said David Schiller, vice president, civil space and sciences, Northrop Grumman. “Our ready-to-fly, reliable HALO technologies allow NASA to move faster, putting in place robust infrastructure that can endure the lunar night and establish a strong blueprint for a future Moon Base.”
Northrop Grumman did not say when the LID missions would launch or fly.