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Elon to the Moon: NASA Awards Falcon Heavy Contract to Launch the First Two Parts of the Lunar Gateway

ManaByte

Member
NASA Awards Contract to Launch Initial Elements for Lunar Outpost | NASA

NASA has selected Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, California, to provide launch services for the agency’s Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) and Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO), the foundational elements of the Gateway. As the first long-term orbiting outpost around the Moon, the Gateway is critical to supporting sustainable astronauts missions under the agency’s Artemis program.



After integration on Earth, the PPE and HALO are targeted to launch together no earlier than May 2024 on a Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The total cost to NASA is approximately $331.8 million, including the launch service and other mission-related costs.
 

GeekyDad

Member
So, am I reading that correctly? The taxpayers are shelling out about a third of a billion dollars to pay for his business expenses? Nice...
 
It's part of Artemis.

James Franco Flirt GIF
 
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Cleared_Hot

Member
Their shit can't even land without exploding.

Oh, I see.. they're providing launch services.
Huh?

They've landed reusable rockets literally dozens of times onto land and onto drone ships in the ocean, including two that lifted manned missions to the ISS.

So either you're commenting on things you are completely ignorant, or you're deliberately trolling. Either way you should just stfu.

Two exploded prototypes that were the first two rockets in history to complete the specific maneuvers it is designed to do, were actually huge successes did to the data collected. They're not designed with the expectation that the will survive, but that they might (which would be fucking incredible) and are an acceptable loss if they do not land. The testing of the engines and the extremely unique maneuvers are what's being tested.
 
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