ESA has finalized a contract with Thales Alenia Space to build the ESPRIT module for Gateway, a planned space station in lunar orbit. Credit: ESA

JOHANNESBURG — The European Space Agency (ESA) signed a nearly €296 million ($362 million) contract with Thales Alenia Space Jan. 7 to build a European module for NASA’s lunar Gateway space station.

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Andrew Parsonson is based in Valetta, Malta, and has been covering the space industry since 2017.