Thales Alenia Space Responds to NASA's Criticism About Lunar Gateway Production Issues

In the second half of April, during a hearing in the U.S. Congress, Jared Isaacman (NASA Administrator) stated that the HALO (Habitation And Logistics Outpost) and I-HAB (International Habitation Module) modules of the Lunar Gateway had production defects related to corrosion. The statement also explained why the U.S. space agency had decided to opt for a permanent lunar base on the surface of the natural satellite rather than a space station. The project has essentially been canceled to dedicate efforts to other opportunities.

The statement was widely disseminated, and responses from interested parties did not take long. ESA and Northrop Grumman, who were involved in the Lunar Gateway project and are continuing to follow the assembly of the modules for potential future uses, confirmed the corrosion highlighted by Isaacman but generally did not consider it to be very serious. The European space agency added that this problem would not delay the project, as stated by the NASA Administrator. Axiom Space, which has contracted Thales Alenia Space to build some modules for the commercial Axiom Station, also reported encountering a similar issue.

Thales Alenia Space's Response on Lunar Gateway Modules

This week, Thales Alenia Space's response was awaited to counter Isaacman's statements (which had been preceded by some rumors). The Italian-French company stated in a press release that "our teams are working hand in hand with our long-standing customer Northrop Grumman to ensure that the HALO module fully meets the mission requirements, using NASA-approved processes. A known metallurgical behavior has been found on the surface of the module, which will be repaired by the end of the third quarter of 2026. As for the I-HAB, which remains in our facilities to this day, we are also collaborating with ESA to resolve the same related issue soon."

The company then added that "our firm, along with its customers and partners, is accustomed to facing and resolving this type of situation in this very challenging space environment. For example, a metallurgical behavior of this kind occurred decades ago during the production of elements for the International Space Station (ISS). The pressurized modules of the ISS have proven to be highly performant and continue to operate reliably, exceeding their originally projected lifespan. With nearly 50% of the ISS's pressurized volume built by our company still operational after 25 years, we are leveraging this experience to tackle the current situation with agility, expertise, and full technical control. At this moment, further comments would be premature. For further information, please refer to Northrop Grumman for HALO and ESA for I-HAB."

If the repairs are carried out as planned and the final assembly is completed, it is possible (but not certain) that HALO and I-HAB will be used in the future permanent lunar base. This is because it could reduce the overall costs and timing necessary to achieve operational status. Meanwhile, we know that the PPE (Power and Propulsion Element) module will be integrated into the nuclear propulsion spacecraft Space Reactor-1 Freedom for the first test, with a launch expected in 2028.