New Space Station Planned Near The Moon, International Partners Design Lunar Outpost

The spacefaring nations of the world are working on an agreement to establish an outpost near the moon in what could be the largest international space-based project in human history.

Member nations of the International Spacecraft Working Group (ISCWG) met late last month to discuss the technical details needed to begin construction of the cislunar outpost expected to replace the International Space Station in the 2020’s.

The multi-modular design involves habitats from Europe, Russia, Japan, and Canada along with technologies designed and implemented by the United States. The lunar outpost will feature closed-loop life support systems and electric propulsion engines designed to allow the new space station the ability to travel into deep space.

An international (Russia, ESA, NASA and Japan) cis-lunar space station gets closer to reality. Phase A in 2017? https://t.co/zonb8yydNR pic.twitter.com/l8TDK9g4QW

— Franck Marchis (@AllPlanets) November 4, 2016

Anatoly Zak from the Planetary Society reported on the closed-door meeting expected to influence design of the new and improved International Space Station. The lunar outpost would look a lot like the ISS, but with advanced technology launched into space atop NASA’s new Space Launch System alongside the Orion crew capsule.

American modules would be added to the new station with each SLS launch while partner countries would be responsible for lifting their own habitats into space.

The primary component of the station would be an 8.5-ton power and propulsion module with an added electric engine, fed by xenon gas, provided by the European Space Agency. Canada is also expected to add a robotic arm while Russia and Japan are planning to build their own habitats featuring a closed-loop life support system reducing the need for resupply from Earth.

The advanced life support system will allow the air, water, and waste inside the space station to be recycled thus eliminating the need for consumables to be boosted up out of Earth’s gravity well.

An airlock module will be contributed by Russia while Europe plans on building a 10-ton robotic vehicle capable of shuttling soil samples up from the moon’s surface. Crew members aboard the station would operate the machine remotely.

The most advanced concept of the lunar space station is its maneuverability. The outpost’s engines and improved life support systems would allow the crew to be the first humans to embark on deep space missions, perhaps even travel to Mars orbit.

The future of the new lunar station isn’t set, however, much depends on political developments happening in the near future including the outcome of the American presidential race.

There’s also another option for a human outpost near the moon, and it could potentially be finished by 2021 when astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft arrive in orbit.

The American aerospace developer Orbital ATK wants to build a space station out of an already proven commercial Cygnus resupply vessel, Orbital ATK vice president Frank Culbertson told TechTimes.

“A lunar-orbit habitat will extend America’s leadership in space to the cislunar domain. A robust program to build, launch and operate this initial outpost would be built on NASA’s and our international partners’ experience gained in long-duration human space flight on the International Space Station.”

The lunar orbiting station would serve as a resupply base and help NASA astronauts on their mission to Mars, Orbital ATK’s Frank DeMauro told Universe Today.

“Our Cygnus spacecraft is the building block to become a vehicle for exploration beyond low Earth orbit. We are all about supporting NASA’s Mission to Mars. We feel that getting experience in cislunar space is critical to the buildup of the capabilities to go to Mars.”

In the coming years, the space station could also act as a hub of commercial activity as private entities work to develop a new economy above the Earth. NASA is already looking for private partners to take its place on the ISS and at least three commercial companies are designing asteroid mining technology.

Combine that with the United Launch Alliance plan to employ hundreds or workers in orbit and SpaceX reusable rocket technology and it’s easy to see why a deep space station would be useful.

What do you think about the planned space stations near the moon?

[Featured Image by 3DSculptor/Thinkstock]