NASA is evaluating five mockups representative of proposed designs for facilities of Gateway, the space agency’s future outpost for manned lunar missions, Reuters reported Thursday. Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Sierra Nevada Corp. and Bigelow Aerospace each submitted outpost prototypes with funds from a $65 million allotment.
Mike Gernhardt, principal investigator for testing the prototypes, told Reuters the mockups feature a small kitchen, sleep stations with noise cancelling, exercising equipment and a toilet strategically located to prevent cross-contamination with food and scientific activities.
NASA will use the prototyping’s results to develop Gateway’s blueprint. The space agency proposed to allot $500 million for Gateway’s initial development under fiscal year 2020.