This video is part of a two-part collaboration with JG Science. To see part one, click the link displayed here or in the description below. Subscribe to JG, as he produces a lot of awesome science-based videos, which are really well made. The moon has always been a treasured and mystical destination for humans. However, it has been over 50 years since we last stepped foot on its surface. Now, in the beginning of a new decade, it seems like we are finally set to return to the moon and begin constructing infrastructure in orbit around it. In this video, we will explore the proposed attempt to construct an initial orbital outpost around the moon and see how this may enhance future manned expeditions to its surface. Since Apollo, there have been many different space stations sent into Earth orbit. The cell-yout was one of the first generations of space stations to be launched from the Soviet Union. The knowledge learned from it was fundamental that the core modules of the later MIR and ISS space stations were both based on it. Skylab was the first American space station, followed by the larger Russian mirror and then by the even bigger international space station. The latest stations to be put into space were called Tiangong 1 and 2. The first of which was launched in 2011. Only one other major proposal for a lunar space station has been proposed and that was by Russia. Being called the Lunar Orbital Station. Now NASA is in the middle of constructing a new lunar orbiting station called the Lunar Orbital Platform Gateway or Lunar Gateway for short. The plan is for the lunar gateway to house up to four crew and as the name implies, serve as a gateway between Earth and the lunar surface. In just studies alone for the gateway, NASA has committed over $300 million so it would not be surprising if the total cost runs into the billions of dollars. The purpose of the gateway is to allow easier access to the moon's surface. It will do this by acting as a staging point where astronauts and robotic rovers can dock and prepare for lunar and deep space missions. The lunar gateway will house up to four crew for 30 days and will allow rovers to externally dock. For spacecraft traveling to Mars, it may act as an important intermediate step where astronauts could gather supplies, rest and prepare for the longer journey into interplanetary space. The lunar gateway will be made of several components to be delivered over the course of the 2020s. The power and propulsion element would serve many roles as a space tug which is when a spacecraft can be placed from one kind of orbit to another. As the power module for the lunar gateway, the communication center and will be outfitted with solar arrays to power its ion tristers. The habitation and logistics module or HALO for short will be the section for human habitation which can house humans as a halfway point to the lunar surface for up to 30 days. The European system providing refueling infrastructure and telecommunications or e-spirits for short will provide additional capacity for supplies and communications. The power proposed modules include two extra habitation modules, an airlock to allow for activities outside of the lunar gateway and a logistics module which will come with a robotic arm. The planned timeline for construction of the lunar gateway begins in November 2023 where the two base modules, the power and propulsion module, as well as the habitation and logistics module, will launch on top of a commercial rocket likely to be the Falcon Heavy rocket by SpaceX. For around 2024 and 2025, robotic and logistical components of manned missions to the moon will be delivered to the lunar gateway which will be sent to the surface of the moon when the crew arrives. In 2026, the living area would be expanded with the delivery of the iHab module to the lunar gateway. Beyond this, further modules may be added but they have not yet been given a date for delivery. The lunar gateway has been criticized for many reasons. Some critics believe that the lunar gateway hamps his direct exploration of the moon since focusing on a middle ground in orbit between the moon and earth, hamper's direct landing on the surface with other technologies. Robert Zubrin, a popular Mars exploration advocate, has stated that the lunar gateway would expose humans to dangerous levels of radiation as there would be no magnetic field to protect its inhabitants. Furthermore, the lunar gateway has been criticized for having a low cost to benefit advantage with minimal gains for a high price and time cost. The lunar gateway could be a fantastic opportunity to gain a foothold on the moon. On the other hand, it could be a tremendous slowdown for a bloated project. While both sides offer valid points, it cannot be denied that an outpost orbiting the moon would be an inspiring symbol of exploration and cooperation. What do you think of the lunar gateway? Leave your thoughts in the comments below and thanks for watching.