Space Fantasy #87: NASA And Europe Officially Sign Deal To Build Orbital Moon Base

On Tuesday, NASA announced that it’s formally partnered with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop the Gateway, the space station it plans to launch into orbit around the Moon. Moving forward, the Gateway station — which is meant to allow long-term lunar exploration by serving as a middle ground between space and the lunar surface — will be an international venture, according to a NASA press release. And after helping establish a human presence on and around the Moon, tantalizingly, the joint project could help both NASA and the ESA eventually reach Mars.Construction on the Gateway space station could begin by 2022. NASA has already doled out tasks to contractors including SpaceX and Maxar Technologies, but now will share the remaining load with the ESA. The ESA has agreed to provide new modules for the Gateway and spacecraft that will travel to and from it, as well as improving lunar communications and a system to refuel the Gateway. Source