US firm delivers three 12-kilowatt thrusters for NASA's lunar gateway

A Melbourne-based company, L3Harris Technologies, has completed testing and delivered three 12-kilowatt Advanced Electric Propulsion System (AEPS) thrusters for NASA’s lunar Gateway space station. These thrusters represent the most powerful electric propulsion system ever flown in space, being more than twice as powerful as current in-space electric thrusters. The AEPS thrusters will enable the Gateway station to reach and maintain its orbit around the Moon, supporting Artemis IV missions and future long-duration exploration efforts. Electric propulsion offers significantly higher fuel efficiency compared to conventional chemical propulsion, making it ideal for sustained missions. The thrusters underwent rigorous hot-fire and vibration testing at NASA’s Glenn Research Center and L3Harris facilities, validating their readiness for integration into the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) of Gateway. NASA plans to combine these thrusters with nuclear power sources to enable ambitious missions such as robotic tours of Jupiter’s moons and cargo transport to Mars. Gateway itself is a habitable lunar-or