Heart of Moon space station made in Italy

(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 20 - The heart of NASA's future space station as a transit post to take astronauts back to the Moon has been made in Italy.
    The pressurized module HALO (Habitation And Logistics Outpost) was built in the Thales Alenia Space (Thales - Leonardo) factory in Turin.
    The module is ready to leave for the United States at the end of March where the company Northrop Grumman will complete the internal setup.
    The launch is scheduled for the end of 2027, Walter Cugno, vice president for Exploration and Science of Thales Alenia Space, told ANSA.
    It is another fundamental step in the Artemis program, promoted by NASA to bring astronauts back to the Moon and to which dozens of countries and space agencies are adhering, including the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency.
    HALO will become the first nucleus of the Gateway space station, in which astronauts destined for lunar missions will be able to live and work.
    Its expected operational life is 15 years and all the other Gateway components will be attached to it.
    For Jon Olansen, head of the Gateway program for NASA, who took part in the Turin presentation, HALO and the future space station in lunar orbit are destined to become the outpost of future space exploration, in particular of missions directed to Mars.
    Giampiero Di Paolo, CEO of Thales Alenia Space Italia, said "I am truly proud to celebrate this moment that marks a decisive step forward in the construction of the Gateway cislunar orbit station and that underlines the strategic importance of international cooperation in this new era of space exploration.
    "Our company, thanks to its consolidated experience in the development of space infrastructures and exploration vehicles, in line with the visions of the European and Italian agencies, is using all its capabilities to expand knowledge and push beyond the boundaries of cislunar exploration.
    "Our goal is, in fact, to work with the space community to contribute to lunar exploration and to a continuous presence on the lunar surface, looking beyond".
    "The Gateway space station destined for lunar orbit will in fact be a starting point for future human missions in deep space, including those directed to Mars.
    "To this end, we continuously invest in new technological developments and promote innovation. These are the challenges that respond to our natural vocation, a stimulus for us and for our supply chain for the benefit of the entire space ecosystem".
    (ANSA).