UAE Selects Thales Alenia Space for Lunar Gateway Airlock Amid Uncertain Program Future

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has taken a significant step in advancing its role in international space exploration by selecting European aerospace manufacturer Thales Alenia Space to build an airlock module for the lunar Gateway.

The contract was officially signed on February 4 by representatives of Thales Alenia Space and the UAE’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC). While neither party disclosed the financial details of the agreement, this collaboration highlights the UAE’s commitment to contributing to NASA’s Artemis program and its lunar ambitions.

The Airlock Module

The airlock module will be a critical addition to the Gateway, a crew-tended facility positioned in a near-rectilinear halo orbit around the Moon.

The Gateway is designed to serve as a support hub and staging point for Artemis missions to the lunar surface. The airlock will primarily enable astronauts to perform extravehicular activities (EVAs), or spacewalks, as well as deploy and retrieve scientific experiments placed on the exterior of the Gateway. Additionally, the airlock will provide a docking port for visiting vehicles, further enhancing the station’s functionality.

“This new pressurized element is crucial for Lunar Gateway as it will be designed to enable extravehicular activities for astronauts in particular,...This new contract emphasizes even more Thales Alenia Space’s leading positions in the fields of space transportation systems, orbital infrastructures, and deep space exploration.” - ” said Hervé Derrey, Chief Executive of Thales Alenia Space

Thales Alenia Space: A Key Gateway Contractor

Thales Alenia Space has played a significant role in the development of the Gateway through multiple contracts.

The company is a subcontractor for the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) module, which is being developed by Northrop Grumman. Thales is responsible for producing HALO’s primary structure before it is delivered to Northrop for final outfitting. Additionally, Thales is constructing the Lunar I-Hab module, a joint project between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The company is also building ESA’s ESPRIT module, which will provide communications, refueling capabilities, and an observation window for the Gateway.

The newly announced airlock module contract underscores Thales Alenia Space’s expanding influence in the Gateway’s development and its broader role in international space exploration.

UAE Secures Artemis Seat

The airlock deal follows a landmark agreement between the UAE and NASA, announced in January 2024. As part of the deal, the UAE will supply the airlock in exchange for securing a seat on a future Artemis mission to the Gateway. Since finalizing that agreement, MBRSC has evaluated proposals from several American and European contractors before selecting Thales Alenia Space.

The Path to Gateway Completion

The airlock is set to be the final major module installed on the Gateway, with plans for its launch aboard the Artemis 6 mission. This mission will use NASA’s upgraded Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1B rocket, which can carry additional payloads alongside the Orion spacecraft. Previous Artemis missions have also been designed to carry Gateway modules: the I-Hab module will launch with Artemis 4, and the ESPRIT module with Artemis 5.

However, a specific timeline for the completion of the airlock module has not been disclosed. Thales Alenia Space confirmed that it plans to conduct initial design and technical reviews this year, but Artemis 6 is not expected to launch before 2030.

The Future of the Artemis Program Unclear

Despite these detailed plans, the long-term future of the Artemis program and the Gateway remains uncertain due to political shifts in the United States.

The incoming Trump administration has signaled its intention to review the Artemis program, with the possibility of budget cuts or a strategic redirection of NASA’s human spaceflight efforts toward Mars.

Critics have argued that the Gateway may not be necessary for lunar exploration, as demonstrated by Artemis 3’s planned mission architecture, which involves the Orion spacecraft docking directly with SpaceX’s Starship lunar lander without relying on the Gateway.

However, NASA officials continue to emphasize the strategic importance of the Gateway.

“Gateway gives us that staging platform to figure out different locations we need to be on the moon and takes that quarter-century of experience from the space station...It gives us contingency and abort scenarios to get back and really is that setup for Mars and long-term exploration.” - Mark Wiese, Manager of NASA’s Deep Space Logistics Program

The selection of Thales Alenia Space for the airlock module reflects the UAE’s ambition to be a key player in the next generation of space exploration. Through this partnership, the country is leveraging international expertise while securing a role in one of the most ambitious lunar exploration programs in history.