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The Exploration Gateway Platform was a design concept proposed by Boeing in December 2011 to drastically reduce the cost of Moon, near Earth asteroids (NEAs), or Mars missions by using components already designed to construct a refueling depot and servicing station located at one of the Earth–Moon Lagrange points, L1 or L2. The system claims its cost savings based on an ability to be reused for multiple missions such as a launch platform for deep space exploration, robotic relay station for moon rovers, telescope servicing and a deep space practice platform located outside the Earth's protective radiation belts.

The platform would be constructed at the International Space Station (ISS) for testing before being relocated to EM-L1 or EM-L2 via electric or chemical propulsion rockets.

Construction

The Platform would consist of parts left over from the ISS program. Parts under consideration were Node 4 to form the main connection point, parts from the Space Shuttle's Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) and Orbiter External Airlock would be combined to form a utility module for maneuvering, orientation and Extra-vehicular activity (EVA), a smaller version of the Canadian Arm to help with logistic and station-keeping, TransHab and/or possible inclusion of a 'Zvezda 2' or a Bigelow Inflatable station for life support systems, crew accommodations, storage, and laboratory space. Most components would be lifted into orbit using currently available EELV or commercial launchers.

A reusable lander would be positioned at the platform for Moon landings and refueled using NASA's new SLS heavy lift vehicle.

See also

• Lunar Gateway
• Deep Space Habitat
• Lunar Orbital Station
• Nautilus-X
• Skylab II
• Space station

References

1. ^ "ISS Exploration gateway Concept. Rafferty. Nov 2011" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
2. Bergin, Chris (2011-12-03). "Exploration Gateway Platform hosting Reusable Lunar Lander proposed". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 2024-07-15.

v t e Space stations and settlements
List of space stations List of commercial space stations
Current	International Space Station (ISS) Tiangong space station (TSS)
Past	Russia / Soviet Union Salyut Salyut 1 DOS-2 Salyut 2 Cosmos 557 Salyut 3 Salyut 4 Salyut 5 Salyut 6 Salyut 7 Mir United States OPS 0855 Skylab China Tiangong program Tiangong-1 Tiangong-2 Private Genesis I II
Canceled	Individual projects Aurora Station Bigelow Commercial Space Station Deep Space Habitat Excalibur Almaz Exploration Gateway Platform Galaxy Industrial Space Facility Manned Orbiting Laboratory Nautilus-X OPSEK Orbital Technologies Commercial Space Station Skylab II (FlexCraft) Skylab B Sundancer Tiangong-3 Incorporated into ISS Space Station Freedom USOS Columbus MTFF Columbus (ISS module) Mir-2 ROS
In development	Russia Russian Orbital Service Station Private Axiom Station Haven-1 Orbital Reef Starlab International Lunar Gateway
Proposed	Bharatiya Antariksha Station Japanese Space Station Module (Mitsui) Lunar Orbital Station Voyager Station
Concepts	Bernal sphere Bishop Ring McKendree cylinder O'Neill cylinder Rotating wheel Space settlement Stanford torus Wet workshop
Related	List of films featuring space stations Space stations and habitats in fiction Mission to Mir (1997 documentary) Space Station 3D (2002 documentary) Orphans of Apollo (2008 documentary) Space Tourists (2009 documentary) A Beautiful Planet (2016 documentary)
Notes: † Never inhabited due to launch or on-orbit failure, ‡ Part of the Almaz military program, ° Never inhabited, lacks docking mechanism.

• Proposed space stations