Gateway with Orion – transparent background

Artist’s impression of the lunar Gateway. Its flight path is a highly-elliptical orbit around the Moon – bringing it both relatively close to the Moon’s surface but also far away making it easier to pick up astronauts and supplies from Earth – around a five-day trip.

The Gateway will enable sustainable exploration around – and on – the Moon, while enabling research and demonstrating the technologies and processes necessary to conduct a future mission to Mars. ESA’s contribution to this international endeavour includes building the main habitat for astronauts when they visit the Gateway, known as Lunar I-Hab (the white cylindrical module pm the right in this image).

ESA will also provide Lunar View and Lunar Link - together these will supply enhanced communications, refuelling capability and a window, similar to the European-built Cupola observatory on the International Space Station.

European astronauts will join international colleagues to travel to and work on the Gateway. They will fly to the outpost on NASA’s Orion spacecraft powered by European Service Modules that provide electricity, water, air and a comfortable temperature for the astronauts.

Note: Lunar I-Hab was previously known as I-Hab. Lunar View and Lunar Link were previously grouped together as ESPRIT (European System Providing Refueling, Infrastructure and Telecommunications) - Lunar View specifically was known as ESPRIT Refuelling Module (ERM) and Lunar Link as HLCS, or HALO Lunar Communications System. You can see a more recent artist's impression of the Gateway here and here.