The European Space Agency and Thales Alenia Space have awarded GTD the contract for the Lunar Gateway International Habitat Application Software. The completion of this work supposes an important milestone in the development of the station’s European module within the framework of future lunar missions. GTD is deeply motivated in contributing to the establishment of Europe and ESA as a major player in the upcoming advances related to space exploration, trusting that the exploitation of the Lunar Gateway will stimulate several industries around the globe and will encourage European space competitiveness. About the project: The Gateway is a multi-element infrastructure designed to support both robotic and human exploration of cislunar space and act as “basecamp” for sustained lunar exploration. The space station is smaller than the ISS and will require fewer launching operations for its assembly. It is intended to be occupied by a crew of up to four astronauts for periods ranging from two weeks to two months, as well as operating as an autonomous robotic spacecraft. It offers workspace, propulsive capability, as well as life support functionality beyond what the Orion crew module can provide alone, with goals for engineering and operational tests, scientific research, and exploration of the Moon with robotic and crewed landers. The Gateway International Habitat (I-HAB) is ESA’s contribution with regards to an infrastructure element supporting the Gateway with full crew habitability and utilization requirements before 2030. The I-HAB includes contributions from United States, Japan and Canada. Thales Alenia Space is the IHAB Mission Prime Contractor, while GTD is the IHAB Application Software contractor with GTD SAS as subcontractor. Lunar Gateway International Habitat (I-HAB) Modules Source: ESA The International Habitat Module provides a habitable space and both two axial and two radial docking ports, as well as robotic attached interfaces. For the I-HAB module, the axial port with an active mechanism enables docking with the Gateway station; in the same context, the passive axial and radial docking mechanisms enable rendezvous with another module and/or visiting vehicle. The IHAB module has its own Thermal Control System, Life Support System, Data Management System and Power Storage and Distribution System. As mentioned, GTD will provide the I-HAB Application Software (I-HAB ASW). This software runs on the flight computers (FCM and RIU) of the I-HAB alongside the Flight Software Execution Platform (FSW-EP, based on the NASA CFS framework), and it sits on top of the FSW-EP, using its services. Among the components to be developed those related to the human life support system are the most critical ones. The International Habitat Module ASW is organized following the principles of the Gateway Autonomous System Management Architecture (ASMA), which is based on a hierarchy where each element has functions that implement autonomy at its level and control authority over the elements directly below it.
