The
Lunar Gateway, or simply
Gateway, is the first planned extraterrestrial space station. It will be placed in lunar orbit and is intended to serve as a solar-powered communication hub, science laboratory, and short-term habitation module for government-agency astronauts, as well as a holding area for rovers and other robots. It is a multinational collaborative project involving four of the International Space Station partner agencies: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and a new partner announced on the 7th of January 2024, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) which will provide the Airlock for the Lunar Gateway. Lunar Gateway is planned to be both the first space station beyond low Earth orbit and the first space station to orbit the Moon.