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2018(9)-2025(6) THE DEEP SPACE GATEWAY is lead by the Multilateral Coordination Board (MCB).  The GATEWAY is currently intended as a stepping stone to Mars,  and support the Global Exploration Roadmap.  It may also be used for lunar surface operations. 

Lockheed-Martin ORION and the SLS Exploratory Missions (EMs).  Keep in mind that both will probably not be ready for EM-1 until around the end of 2019 .  These missions are currently responsible for the construction of the GATEWAY to orbit the lunar surface in a "near rectilinear halo orbit".  This orbit was decided to all GATEWAY to leave orbit in support of deep space missions.

The current schedule for Orion, SLS and Deep Space Gateway was projected to start in 2018 - as both ORION and SLS have slipped out one year this schedule slips out one year.   The full schedule and more details on GATEWAY can be found on this page.  If for some reason the powers at large start blocking website addresses it is likely this page and site may be blocked.  If the link does not work please contact me (my email is on the "splash" home page of this website) and I will pursue permission to publish it here.  It is also unfortunate that a search for the MCB did not bring up a website and that this information does not appear to be available by NASA. 

Deep Space Gateway to Open Opportunities for Distant Destinations

Initially two GATEWAY habitation modules were planned - this was changed by August 2017 to one and the habitation module became around five meters in length.  After review of the available details I have two issues with this module:

1. The wall thickness of the habitat was quoted as being THREE MILLIMETERS thick and 5 millimeters around the docking ports - I feel this presents a big risk in radiation exposure particularly in event of a massive solar flare or Coronal Mass Ejection (CME).  More on this subject will be coming on my RADIATION section;

2. As the habitation module is projected to house 4 people for extended periods of time this module is simply too small even allowing that two of the four astronauts will be in the ORION.

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