Over the next several months, NASA will finalize a strategy for its operations in low-Earth orbit after 2030. Then, toward the end of next year, the space agency will award contracts to one or more private companies to develop small space stations for which NASA and other space agencies will become customers, rather than operators. But none of this is certain, and as NASA faces a transition from its long-established operations on the International Space Station.
Having a lab in orbit is SO much more scientifically useful than going to the moon again by reinventing the wheel-but-dumber. Unfortunately, it’s not nearly as useful for political clout as dropping a few more flags. If only a fraction of the insane mountain of money for Artemis was being spent on a new station, we’d have one already.
No way! A moon base has the potential to be a refueling station for manned Mars missions.