United Arab Emirates to Contribute Airlock to NASA’s Gateway Space Station

NASA has announced that the United Arab Emirates’ Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre will provide the Crew and Science Airlock Module for the Gateway space station, the first such spacecraft in lunar orbit.

The Gateway will serve as a staging point for moon missions under the Artemis program, NASA said. 

The space station is also expected to house astronauts and research efforts.

The airlock is expected to allow crew and science research to move in and out of the Gateway’s pressurized crew modules. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the module would facilitate preparations for a future crewed Mars mission.

In addition to delivering the airlock, MBRSC will provide engineering support throughout Gateway’s lifecycle.

NASA, meanwhile, is expected to fly a UAE astronaut to Gateway. The space agency has flown two Emirati astronauts in the past and is currently hosting two trainees from the UAE at Johnson Space Center.

Vice President Kamala Harris said the partnership advances her goal as National Space Council chair to strengthen international cooperation in space.