NASA wants to house astronauts in the Moon’s orbit. To do that, they have been working on the Gateway Lunar Station. According to the agency, we are getting closer to it happening.
The agency said Gateway’s HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost) passed a round of “static load testing”. This is basically a stress test, defining how it would respond and work in deep space.
This means the Gateway Lunar Station won’t break down in space. This part of the station is currently in Italy, and will; now be transferred to Arizona. Once its there, engineers will adding finishing touches.
If and when the Gateway Lunar Station launches, it will be our first structure to orbit the moon with humans. NASA hopes to launch it on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket in December 2027, and then inhabit it sometime in 2028.
