NASA's Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) is currently undergoing assembly, integration, and testing at Lanteris Space Systems in Palo Alto, California. The PPE is a solar electric propulsion spacecraft designed to provide power for the Gateway in lunar orbit.
The element, capable of generating 60 kilowatts of power, was successfully powered on last year. This achievement demonstrated its ability to supply the spacecraft with power, high-rate communications, attitude control, and the capacity for orbital maintenance and maneuvering.
The Power and Propulsion Element is managed by NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and is being constructed by industry partner Lanteris Space Systems. Teams at Lanteris Space Systems have secured the element’s main electrical system inside protective exterior panels.
Upcoming installations at Lanteris Space Systems include three 12-kilowatt advanced electric propulsion system thrusters, manufactured by L3Harris, and four 6-kilowatt Busek-built BHT-6000 thrusters. Furthermore, the roll-out solar arrays for Gateway are complete and are undergoing testing at Redwire’s facility in Goleta, California.