NASA asks Northrop Grumman to stop working on lunar HALO module

NASA directed Northrop Grumman to halt work on the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) module for the Lunar Gateway on March 18, 2024. This directive follows NASA's announcement three months prior, shifting its lunar focus from an orbital station to a surface Moon base. The agency also revealed plans to repurpose the Gateway's Power and Propulsion Element for a deep space nuclear-electric propulsion demonstration. HALO, a 6.1-meter-long pressurized module designed for astronaut habitation during Lunar Gateway missions, had contracts valued at $1.1 billion awarded to Northrop Grumman for its design, construction, and integration with the Power and Propulsion Element. The specific future of the HALO module, beyond the halt in work, was not detailed in the announcement.