The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has revealed awarding an aerospace company a whopping $147 million ($187 million) to design a lunar ‘hotel’ for astronauts on the way to the moon.

The company, Northrop Grumman Space is developing a habitation and logistics outpost (HALO) for NASA’s Gateway – a space station that will orbit the moon from 2023.

Jim Bridenstine, NASA administrator, said: “This contract award is another significant milestone in our plan to build robust and sustainable lunar operations.”

“The Gateway is a key component of NASA’s long-term Artemis architecture and the HALO capability furthers our plans for human exploration at the Moon in preparation for future human missions to Mars.”

It’s been almost 50 years since NASA last touched down on the moon, and now the space agency is preparing to return to our lunar satellite.

The project is part of NASA’s Artemis programme, which aims to land humans on the moon by 2024.

NASA explained: “With the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.”

“We will collaborate with our commercial and international partners and establish sustainable exploration by the end of the decade. Then, we will use what we learn on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap – sending astronauts to Mars.”

HALO will be around the size of a small studio apartment, and will host astronauts on their way to the moon.

And Northrop Grumman Space doesn’t have long to design and develop the lunar hotel – it will launch alongside the Gateway’s power and propulsion element (PPE) in just three years.

Dan Hartman, Gateway programme manager, said: “We’re making significant progress on these first two elements, including incorporation of components from ESA (European Space Agency), the Canadian Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and payloads from our research communities.”

“The new plan to integrate the two elements of Gateway demonstrates the capabilities of the agency and our partners to be flexible and reassess plans as needed. By launching the elements together, we’re able to significantly reduce Gateway’s risk profile and increase cost effectiveness.”