Oct. 21, 2019 • Visit us at DAY 1 SHOW DAILY OFFICIAL SHOW DAILY OF THE 70TH INTERNATIONAL ASTRONAUTICAL CONGRESS International partners seek to keep up with NASA’s lunar ambitions year after NASA used the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) to encour- A age other nations to join its plans to return astronauts to the moon, an accelerated schedule has created both new opportunities and new challenges for those partnerships. At 2018 IAC in Bremen, Germany, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine talked up NASA’s plans to establish a Gateway in orbit around the moon, with international partners con- tributing various modules. That facility would support human missions to the lunar surface starting in 2028. At the time, Bridenstine said the process for incorporating partners was still being worked on, although the decadelong timeframe for assembling the Gateway gave NASA and its potential partners breathing room to figure out how to do so. By March, Canada became the first nation to sign up for the Gateway, announcing its intent to spend $1.5 billion over more than two decades to build the Canadarm3 robotic arm for the facility. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine speaking at the 69th International Astronautical Congress in Bremen, The Multilateral Coordination Board (MCB), Germany, last year. the interagency group that handles issues in- volving the International Space Station, backed Symposium in Colorado Springs. What’s changed, Grumman for the HALO, based on its work on the Gateway in a March 5 statement. “Following he said, is that the Gateway will now be built an earlier NASA program. several years of extensive study among the in two phases, first to support that initial 2024 There will be a few opportunities for inter- agencies culminating in a successful technical landing and then expanded, primarily with national partners. The European Space Agency assessment, the MCB endorsed plans to con- international partner contributions. will be involved in the early Artemis missions tinue the Gateway development,” it said, also “The first phase is speed. We want to get through its existing agreement to provide releasing an illustration of the Gateway with those boots on the moon as soon as possible,” the service module for the Orion spacecraft. potential contributions by Canada, Europe, Ja- he said then. That later second phase, he added, Northrop’s decision to base the HALO module pan and Russia, along with NASA, highlighted. would emphasize sustainability. on its Cygnus cargo spacecraft means that Those plans changed later that month, though, What that means is that international Thales Alenia Space, which manufactures the when Vice President Mike Pence announced at partners are largely shut out of major roles in pressurized module for Cygnus, will also be a National Space Council meeting that he was the initial phase of what NASA now calls the involved in the early Gateway. directing NASA to land people on the moon by Artemis program. The lunar Gateway will, for The lack of early opportunities for other 2024, four years earlier than previously planned. that 2024 landing, feature only two modules: nations has not, for now, led to any defec- That necessitated a change in plans for the a Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) and a tions. In late August, the MCB issued another Gateway, at least in its initial stages. “mini-hab” module called the Habitation and statement endorsing the Gateway. “The MCB “The plan is still the same,” Bridenstine Logistics Outpost (HALO). Maxar Technologies members shared the view that the Gateway will argued a few weeks later that the 35th Space won a $375 million contract in May to build the become a sustainable exploration infrastructure IAF VIA FLICKR PPE while NASA announced its intent in July supporting further lunar and Mars exploration JEFF FOUST to issue a sole-source contract to Northrop objectives when additional capabilities are DAY 1 | SPACENEWS SHOW DAILY | 1 001-012_IAC ShowDaily-DAY ONE 2019.indd 1 10/14/19 2:22 PM Large Inflatable Fabric Environment Key LIFE Habitat Design Features: TM (LIFE ) Habitat Provides significant volume for long-duration human activity SNC has developed a flexible, inflatable space Flexible launch options; compatible with Space Launch habitat under NASA’s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships 2 (NextSTEP-2) Systems or five-meter fairing commercial launch vehicles Habitat program that supports both crewed and Supports four crew members living & performing space missions autonomous operations. The reconfigurable Includes crew workstations, medical research & sick bay, architecture supports multiple applications sleeping quarters, hygiene station, galley, payload & cargo including as a low-Earth orbit (LEO) destination, a full-size habitat for the Lunar Gateway to support storage, environmental monitoring & life support systems crewed missions, a habitat on the moon to Complete with SNC’s Astro Garden® plant growth system support surface operations, and as a Mars deep space transport crew compartment. NASA sncorp.com © 2019 Sierra Nevada Corporation Space001-012_IAC News Cover ShowDaily-DAY - Lunar Habitats.indd ONE 2019.indd 1 2 10/14/201910/14/19 2:05:57 2:24 PMPM DAY 1 SHOW DAILY provided through the Gateway partner- Since then, though, there’s been little sign ship,” it stated, outlining the continued interest of concrete progress regarding bringing China A NASA artist’s concept of the 2024 lunar Gateway by the ISS partners to provide modules for the into Artemis, or even if China, with its own lunar in orbit. Gateway in the future. exploration ambitions, wants to join. Bridenstine While the ISS partners will play the biggest frequently notes that language sharply restricting role in any international cooperation, other bilateral cooperation between NASA and China funding nations will contribute. JAXA, mean- nations may also participate. NASA and the in appropriations bills — including in both the while, is working with the Japanese government Australian Space Agency signed a “joint state- House and Senate versions of fiscal year 2020 to identify funding for its contributions. ment of intent” Sept. 21 for cooperation on the legislation — makes any comprehensive co- Bringing together all those potential part- Artemis program, which may include Australia operation difficult. “If that were to change, it ners will be an organizational challenge. That providing technologies in areas like robotics would be above my pay grade,” he said during complexity, though, could also be an advantage, and teleoperation to support human mission a news conference in Japan Sept. 25. one NASA official believes. on or around the moon. Difficulties for international cooperation “I’m starting to love complicated,” said Ken Bridenstine has been open to bringing in a aren’t limited to the United States. Canada’s Bowersox, NASA acting associate administrator larger number of “nontraditional” partners for commitment to the lunar Gateway could be for human exploration and operations, during an the Artemis program. He’s publicly talked about tested after the Oct. 21 federal election there, Oct. 10 speech at the International Symposium including countries ranging from India, whose where the government of current Prime Minis- for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight in New Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft is currently orbiting ter Justin Trudeau is facing a strong challenge Mexico. “I realize that complicated sometimes the moon, to the United Arab Emirates, which from the Conservative Party. Space policy has means that you increase resilience.” flew its first astronaut on a brief mission to the not come up during the campaign, although “It is a lot more complicated than we did with ISS less than a month ago. one Conservative member of parliament, Erin Apollo, but it’s on purpose,” he added. The only country that appears to be off-limits O’Toole, told the publication SpaceQ that he At this year’s IAC, Bridenstine will likely spend to participation in the Artemis program is China. expected a government led by his party would a lot of time with leaders of other space agencies At last year’s IAC in Bremen, both Bridenstine continue with Canadarm3. to formalize proposed partnerships for Artemis and his Chinese counterpart, Zhang Kejian, ad- The European Space Agency will soon decide or work to bring in new partners. His message ministrator of the China National Space Admin- its role in Artemis. The Space19+ meeting of may be the same as last year in Germany, where istration, showed interest in finding new ways ministers of its 22 members states, Nov. 27–28 he emphasized the importance of international to cooperate. “We can share data and collaborate in Seville, Spain, will debate whether and how cooperation to NASA: “I am telling you that we that way so that each country can learn more ESA should participate in the lunar Gateway or cannot do what we do without the support of about science,” Bridenstine suggested. other aspects of Artemis, including how much our international partners.” SN NASA DAY 1 | SPACENEWS SHOW DAILY | 3 001-012_IAC ShowDaily-DAY ONE 2019.indd 3 10/14/19 2:26 PM SHOW DAILY DAY 1 IACFor the complete rundown of ATIAC events, consult the officialA program GLANCE or go to www.iafastro.org/events/iac/iac-2019/ MONDAY WEDNESDAY 09:00-11:00 | Opening Ceremony. IAC promises a “multi- 08:30 – 09:30 | UAE Space Agency Director General layered theatrical production” combined with welcome Mohammed Nasser Al Ahbabi and top space officials from addresses from IAF President Jean-Yves