The Italian Aerospace Information Web
by Aeromedia - corso Giambone 46/18 - 10135 Torino (Italy)

The HALO Space Module was flown to the USA in a Gigantic Antonov An-124

On March 30, 2025 the Antonov An-124-100M Ruslan UR-82007 landed at Caselle Airport. The next day the aircraft, operated by the Ucrainian Antonov Design Bureau, took off to transport the HALO (Habitation And Logistics Outpost) space module to the USA. The module was built in Turin by Thales Alenia Space under contract with Northrop Grumman. HALO is an important element of the future Lunar Gateway the cislunar space station which will be one of the first steps of the Artemis mission.

The Antonov AN-124 (c/n 19530501005/01-05 built in 1986) carries "Be Brave Like Mykolaīv" special inscription on both sides and from 2022, along with the other aircraft of the Antonov Design Bureau, is operating from outside the Ukraine. In 1988 a single example of a six-engined An-225 Mriya was developed from the AN-124. At the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine the Russian Air Force bombed the Antonov plant and unfortunately the Mriya was destroyed.

In the picture: The Antonov An-124-100M Ruslan UR-82007 operated by the Ucrainian Antonov Design Bureau company lands at Caselle airport on March 30, 2025. It carried the HALO space module to Mesa (Arizona). From this airport HALO was transported to Northrop Grumman's facility in Gilbert for final outfitting. (Aeromedia)

(Aeromedia, March 2025)