Keck Institute for Space Studies - Open Lecture

The construction of the Gateway will be humankind's most ambitious endeavor in space. A new kind of construction - a new way of thinking about building things - will be required to build what is, essentially, a city in space.

To construct a massive spaceport like the Gateway would take a generation if we didn't use construction techniques like those used in modern shipbuilding and automobile factories.

Ships today are constructed by connecting prefabricated sections constructed in other parts of the shipyard. This method is known as "Block construction": smaller things that need to be fabricated In large quantities are built using assembly lines. By bringing both of these methods together we can create large blocks or segments in a rather quick manner using a machine designed for just such a purpose.