Gateway Treaty

NASA and the Canadian Space Agency recently signed a historic agreement under which Canada is to be a part of the Lunar Gateway Space Station. Canada will contribute a new robotic arm called “Canadarm3”. Also, a Canadian is to be a part of the Artemis II mission. Artemis II is the first crewed mission to the moon by NASA since 1972. The mission is to be launched in 2023. This agreement is called “Gateway Treaty”.

The Canadian Government recently allocated 22.8 million USD towards the development of Canadarm3.

Lunar Gateway Space Station

The Lunar Gateway Space Station is about one-sixth of the size of the International Space Station. It is to be built in the lunar orbit. The space station is expected to play a major role in the Artemis Programme of NASA after its launch. The Gateway is to be developed and utilized by international and commercial partners from CSA (Canadian Space Agency), JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency), European Space Agency.

Artemis Programme

The programme will demonstrate new technologies and future explorations (including Mars) on the lunar surface. The astronauts are to be uplifted by NASA’s new Space Launch System. It will send the astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft. The astronauts will dock Orion at the Gateway and will transfer to a human landing system.

Gateway

It is an outpost orbiting the moon. It provides vital support for long-term and sustainable human return to the lunar surface. It will also act as a staging point for deep space exploration.

Orion Spacecraft

It is a class of partially reusable space capsule. It is capable of supporting a crew of six beyond the Low Earth Orbit. The Orion can last up to twenty one days undocked and six months docked.

Space Launch System

It replaced the Constellation Program Ares V launch vehicle programme of 2005. The Constellation Programme of NASA was cancelled. The Constellation Programme aimed to complete the International Space Station and return to moon not late than 2020.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2020