A CGI animation shows a compact space station in the vast darkness of space, with metal cylinders, solar arrays the size of football endzones, and the Orion spacecraft - a true home away from home for the astronauts of Artemis.

Credit to NASA

NASA, along with its international and commercial partners, is constructing Gateway, the first human space station near the Moon. This station will provide essential functions to ensure the well-being of astronauts. These functions include pressurized spaces for crew members to train for lunar missions, conduct scientific research, prepare and enjoy meals, exercise, and rest. Two habitable sections will offer this pressurized space where astronauts can not only live but also work. Starting from Artemis IV, astronauts will utilize the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) module by Northrop Grumman, and in subsequent missions, they will have the Lunar I-Hab module from the European Space Agency (ESA). Together, these components will support astronaut missions lasting 30 days or more around the Moon.

The initial core habitation element will be HALO, followed by PPE. Besides providing living quarters, HALO will possess a range of functions to ensure the success of future Artemis missions. These functions include:

• Acting as the central command and control hub for all station systems through the Vehicle System Manager software to allow for independent station operations.

• Monitoring environmental conditions like temperature and air quality to maintain stability.

• Establishing high-speed communication with the lunar surface using the HALO Lunar Communication System developed by ESA.

• Serving as the central power distribution point, transferring power from the Power and Propulsion Element's solar panels to all other Gateway elements. 

• This involves utilizing batteries from the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to power HALO during times with no sunlight.

• Supporting research on solar and cosmic radiation that might affect human health and station systems. 

• Internal Dosimeter Array (IDA) by ESA, with JAXA instruments, will be onboard HALO to analyze potential radiation inside Gateway. 

• Moreover, the Heliophysics Environmental Radiation Measurement Experiment Suite (HERMES) and European Radiation Sensors Array (ERSA) will be attached to HALO's exterior to measure radiation levels around the space station.

HALO's many docking ports make it the crucial basis for the complete Gateway space station. Additional modules like Lunar I-HAB and Lunar View from ESA, with contributions from Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), as well as Gateway's airlock from a future international partner will attach to HALO. These will support activities like spacewalks. The same docking ports on HALO and Lunar I-HAB will also host visiting spacecraft such as the Orion shuttle, cargo supply crafts, and lunar landers delivering astronauts and supplies to the Moon's surface.

The HALO module's structural welding and testing are set to finish in Italy early in 2023. Following this phase, HALO will be moved to Northrop Grumman's base in Gilbert, Arizona, for component installation to prepare it for flight. Simultaneously, ESA is advancing the design of Lunar I-HAB, including the vital Environmental Control and Life Support System to sustain astronauts on Gateway.

As NASA embarks on humanity's return to the Moon with the upcoming Artemis I mission, the subsequent Artemis undertakings will rely on Gateway's HALO and Lunar I-HAB modules as a home away from home, establishing a durable human presence around the Moon and paving the way for voyages to Mars.