For a decade, NASA promoted the Lunar Gateway as a crucial stepping stone in humanity’s push towards deep space habitation and lunar exploration. However, this ambitious project has faced numerous delays and now faces an unexpected setback.

The primary modules of the gateway, designed to provide power and propulsion for the station, have been discovered to be corroded. This revelation comes at a particularly sensitive time when NASA decided to pause further development so as to focus on establishing a base on the lunar surface.

Adding insult to injury, the first component was initially scheduled to launch in 2022 and was to be joined by another pressurized habitation module from international partners, with further modules set for installation into 2026. These dates have long since passed, and now it appears that the HALO module, a key piece of hardware contracted by Northrop Grumman, may never see service in orbit.

During congressional testimony, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman faced questions regarding this colossal investment. With Chinese astronauts set to explore the Moon from orbit, the Gateway’s cancellation seems justified but leaves many wondering about the long-term implications for US space dominance.