Two graduates of Susquehanna Valley High School - Gary and Pamela O'Neil (Classes of 1982 and 1984) recently stopped by their alma mater for a visit, and to share details about some exciting work being done on the LUNAR GATEWAY at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The Gateway spaceship will provide sustained lunar access and a foundation for crew exploration of Mars. Mr. O'Neil is a member of the Gateway Logistics Element Project's leadership team at NASA Kennedy Space Center. The O'Neils are traveling around to engage and educate people on the Gateway program - a critical part of the space agency's mission to get humans to Mars and beyond.
"The gateway - a permanent station orbiting the moon - is actually a gateway to get to other places," explained Mr. O'Neil. "A crew would stop there, get re-supplied - and go on. With the planned first mission back to the moon (currently targeted for a one man, one woman crew in 2024), we would establish a supply chain and infrastructure on the moon, thus making it more efficient to extend infrastructure to Mars." He noted it's very expensive to lift supplies off from Earth, so NASA is exploring what Moon-based resources, including water now known to be present, could be used - eliminating the need to lift those things out of Earth's gravity.
In their travels, the O'Neils are carrying a flag bearing a NASA logo and - now - bearing dozens of signatures, including many Susquehanna Valley staff members. "We're taking the flag around to engage and educate people about what we're doing and what Gateway is all about," O'Neil said. The flag will ultimately be part of a cargo shipment to the Gateway base. "We'll then convince the crew to take it to the moon's surface. I'm looking forward to that picture of the flag on the surface of the moon." The O'Neils, in the meantime, will be engaging area media wherever they travel so people can keep track of where the flag ends up.
The O’Neils are tentatively due back to SV High School in the spring for student presentations.