NASA has signed an agreement with the Japanese government that extends Japan’s presence on the ISS to 2030 and provides space for a future lunar station.
At a virtual meeting on Thursday, both parties signed an agreement on the implementation of the Gateway project. Gateway is a space station planned in orbit around the Moon to support the space agency’s Artemis program, which plans to ensure a permanent presence of astronauts on the lunar surface.
According to the space agency, NASA plans to launch the first two Gateway modules before November 2024.
As part of the agreement, Japan’s JAXA space agency will provide parts for the Gateway International Module, including the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS), thermal control system functions, and cameras. JAXA will also provide the HTV-XG spacecraft for a resupply mission to Gateway, currently scheduled for 2030 at the latest.
In return, the agreement also requires NASA to send a Japanese astronaut to Gateway as a crew member for the upcoming Artemis mission.
Source: Port Altele
