By 2028, the Lunar Gateway space station will be orbiting the moon with people on it, during the Artemis IV mission. The advanced life support systems are slated to be integrated into the infrastructure of the Lunar Gateway and employed during Artemis program missions. These systems are part of NASA’s broader strategy to facilitate prolonged human presence on the Moon, providing critical life support functions such as air purification, water recycling, and waste management on both the Gateway and lunar surface habitats. The integration of these technologies is intended to test and prove the feasibility of long-term extraterrestrial habitation, setting the stage for future manned missions to Mars.
Analysis: The Artemis missions are a series of ongoing lunar missions run by NASA. The first Artemis mission was completed in 2022, when an uncrewed test flight orbited and flew beyond the Moon. The integration of advanced life support systems into the Lunar Gateway and Artemis missions represents a significant stride in the roadmap towards sustainable lunar colonization and further planetary exploration. This period of technological implementation and testing is crucial for developing the necessary infrastructure to support human life in extraterrestrial environments over extended periods.
Image above is more of an imagined future. The following is closer to what it will look like:
