Power and Propulsion Element
Artist's impression of the PPE, attached to HALO, firing its engines in lunar orbit. | |
| Names | PPE Asteroid Redirect Vehicle |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Power and propulsion module |
| Operator | Northrop Grumman / NASA |
| Mission duration | 15 years (planned) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | PPE |
| Manufacturer | Maxar Technologies |
| Launch mass | 5,000 kg (11,000 lb) |
| Power | 60 kW |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 2027 (planned) |
| Rocket | Falcon Heavy |
| Launch site | Kennedy Space Center, LC-39A |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
The Power and Propulsion Element (PPE), previously known as the Asteroid Redirect Vehicle propulsion system, is a planned solar electric ion propulsion module being developed by Maxar Technologies for NASA. It is one of the major components of the Lunar Gateway. The PPE will allow access to the entire lunar surface and a wide range of lunar orbits and double as a space tug for visiting craft.
The PPE originally started development at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a part of the now cancelled Asteroid Redirect Mission, but is now led and managed by the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center, in Cleveland, Ohio. When ARM was cancelled, the solar electric propulsion was repurposed as the PPE for the Gateway. The PPE is designed to be able to transfer the reusable Gateway to lunar orbit. It will also serve as the communications center of the Gateway. The PPE is intended to have a launch mass of 5,000 kg (11,000 lb) with propellant accounting for half that mass and the capability to generate 50 kW of solar electric power using Roll Out Solar Arrays for its Hall-effect thrusters, which can be supplemented by chemical propulsion. It is currently planned to launch on a Falcon Heavy no earlier than 2027 along with the HALO module.