WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th March, 2020) The private rocket company SpaceX won approval as the first commercial supplier to the US Lunar Gateway, a proposed space station to launch humans to the moon and later to Mars, NASA said in a press release on Friday.
"SpaceX will deliver critical pressurized and unpressurized cargo, science experiments and supplies to the Gateway, such as sample collection materials and other items the crew may need on the Gateway and during their expeditions on the lunar surface," the release said.
NASA plans to put the Gateway in an elliptical orbit between the Earth and moon, from which multiple lunar missions can be launched that will eventually establish a permanent human presence on the moon.
At some point, the Gateway will house facilities for giant rockets to refuel for flights to Mars lasting more than six months, according to NASA.
The Gateway will require multiple supply missions in which the cargo spacecraft will stay at the facility for six to 12 months at a time, the release said.
Although SpaceX won the first contract, NASA said it plans to offer a number of similar contracts for logistics services, which will guarantee two missions per provider with a maximum value of $7 billion, the release added.
