Exploration Gateway Platform
Illustration concept of the Exploration Gateway Platform (as of 2011) | |
| Station statistics | |
|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
| Launch | 2020s (planned) |
| Carrier rocket | EELV, Falcon 9 or SLS (planned) |
| Mission status | Proposed/cancelled |
| Mass | 46,800 kg (103,200 lb) |
| Typical orbit altitude | Earth–Moon Lagrange point (L1 or L2) |
| Days occupied | 90 days (planned) |
| References: | |
The Exploration Gateway Platform was a design concept proposed by Boeing in December 2011 to drastically reduce the cost of Moon, near Earth asteroids (NEAs), or Mars missions by using components already designed to construct a refueling depot and servicing station located at one of the Earth–Moon Lagrange points, L1 or L2. The system claims its cost savings based on an ability to be reused for multiple missions such as a launch platform for deep space exploration, robotic relay station for moon rovers, telescope servicing and a deep space practice platform located outside the Earth's protective radiation belts.
Initial plans call for the Platform to be constructed at the International Space Station (ISS) for testing before being relocated to EM-L1 or EM-L2 via electric or chemical propulsion rockets. However, in 2013 this was revised to be assembled directly on EM-L1 or EM-L2, with each component launched by an SLS rocket.