NASA’s Artemis program is making steady progress towards establishing a human presence on the Moon, with its first lunar space station, Gateway, nearing completion. The Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) module, designed to house astronauts during their stays, is almost finished at the Thales Alenia Space facility in Italy. Once finalized, it will be transported to Arizona for final outfitting and testing.
Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element (PPE), which will provide solar electric propulsion, is also nearing completion. The integrated modules will travel uncrewed to lunar orbit, collecting scientific data on deep-space radiation before becoming operational.
International contributions to the project include the European Space Agency’s Lunar Link communication system and Maxar Space Systems’ Power and Propulsion Element. Japan’s JAXA-designed life support systems and Canada’s Canadarm3 robotic arm will also be part of the station.
Once launched, Gateway will serve as a scientific hub, logistics center, and transportation waypoint for future Artemis missions. It will provide high-speed data transmission with ESA’s Lunar Link system and enable astronauts to travel from Gateway to the Moon’s South Pole using SpaceX’s Starship human landing system.
Gateway’s testing capabilities will focus on deep-space survival for Mars missions, gathering crucial data on space weather and radiation. The station will also allow commercial spacecraft to visit, expanding opportunities for research, resupply missions, and technological demonstrations that will be critical for interplanetary travel.
Source: https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/02/nasas-artemis-gateway-lunar-space-station