Addressing Gateway's Mass Risk: Key Insights for Federal Contractors from the GAO Report on NASA’s Artemis Programs

The recently released GAO report, "ARTEMIS PROGRAMS: NASA Should Document and Communicate Plans to Address Gateway's Mass Risk," provides insights into NASA's Artemis program, namely Gateway development. This compact space station, planned to orbit the moon, is critical to assisting the Artemis IV lunar mission and future Mars investigations. Understanding the key findings and consequences of this research is critical for federal contractors working in aerospace and military as they navigate impending possibilities and challenges.

NASA's Artemis program intends to create a long-term human presence on the moon and eventually permit travel to Mars. The Gateway is essential to this endeavor since it will act as a staging area for lunar landings as well as a testbed for deep space technologies. The GAO report emphasizes NASA's commitment to launching the Gateway's initial capability by December 2027, at a projected cost of $5.3 billion. This contains both the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) and the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO). However, to meet this ambitious deadline, the PPE and HALO must be launched at least twelve months before the Artemis IV mission, which is scheduled for September 2028, implying a launch date of September 2027.

One of the major issues raised in the report is that the combined mass of the PPE and HALO exceeds their aim. This risk could have an impact on the Gateway's ability to achieve the proper lunar orbit, jeopardizing the mission's success. Despite advancements in the design and implementation of these modules, the GAO emphasizes the need to document and convey a holistic mass management strategy. This strategy would explain the program's approach to mass reduction and essential trade-offs, ensuring that all stakeholders agree on the tactics for addressing this critical issue.

The Gateway initiative has had numerous delays and technological difficulties. The PPE project, which is in charge of supplying power, propulsion, and communication capabilities, as well as the HALO project, which will provide crew living space and support systems, have both met design stability and technology readiness challenges. For example, while the HALO project had completed all of its core technologies by the preliminary design review in 2021, it had only published 41% of its design drawings by the critical design review in 2023, significantly below the best practice requirement of 90%. This lag in design stability raises the possibility of future cost overruns and schedule delays.

Space Contractors should stay current on NASA's latest Joint Cost and Schedule Confidence Level (JCL) study, which will be revisited in September 2024. This analysis will take into account new risks and schedule modifications to provide a more accurate picture of the Artemis IV mission's feasibility. Contractors who offer components or services to NASA should be prepared for potential changes in project deadlines and requirements.

Furthermore, the GAO report emphasizes the value of effective communication and documentation methods. Federal contractors can benefit from implementing comparable tactics to guarantee that their operations are in line with NASA's increasing requirements. Creating a precise mass management plan, for example, can assist contractors reduce the risks associated with exceeding weight restrictions and guarantee their components fulfill the stringent specifications for space missions.

The study also discusses NASA's broader strategic aims for the Gateway, which go beyond the Artemis IV mission. The Gateway is planned to serve an important role in future Mars missions, acting as a long-term residence and testing area for deep space exploration technologies. Contractors with expertise in advanced propulsion, housing systems, and space logistics are ideally positioned to help achieve these long-term goals. Engaging with NASA's Architecture Concept Reviews, which connect high-level objectives to specific project features, can give contractors with important insights into potential prospects while also aligning their R&D efforts with NASA's strategic priorities.

Furthermore, NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate has established the Moon to Mars (M2M) program office, which is a critical step in managing the integration and execution of Artemis missions. This office will be in charge of the creation of exploration systems, risk management, and coordination with foreign partners and commercial organizations. Contractors should closely monitor the M2M program office's instructions and actions to remain on top of emerging possibilities and maintain compliance with new standards and regulations.