NASA has instructed Northrop Grumman to cease work on the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) for the Lunar Gateway, saying most affected employees will be reassigned to existing opportunities and programs. The move comes after the agency’s three‑month‑old decision to pivot its lunar architecture from an orbital station to a surface base, which also put the broader Gateway program on pause.
In the earlier shift, NASA announced that the Power and Propulsion Element would be repurposed for a nuclear‑electric propulsion demonstration in deep space, while the fate of HALO—a 6.1‑meter‑long pressurized module where astronauts would spend most of their time—was left unclear. The agency had previously awarded Northrop Grumman a $1.1 billion contract to design, build, and integrate HALO with the propulsion element.
With HALO work halted, NASA will likely explore alternative uses for the module’s hardware and will monitor the integration of the repurposed propulsion element. The reassignment of staff suggests the agency is seeking to keep talent within other lunar or deep‑space projects while the overall Gateway roadmap is reevaluated.
