NASA has shared footage showing astronauts using VR headsets to learn what it will be like aboard the Lunar Gateway space station.
The Lunar Gateway will orbit the moon and be used mainly for getting astronauts and cargo to and from the lunar surface during the upcoming Artemis missions. It’ll also be used as a space-based laboratory similar to how the International Space Station, which is in low-Earth orbit, operates today.
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Ever wondered what it’ll be like to live and work aboard Gateway, humanity’s first lunar space station? ??? At @NASA_Johnson, astronauts are stepping into the future with VR. Their mission? Ensuring Gateway is a functional home for @NASAArtemis crews. https://t.co/zXTTQG9zhv pic.twitter.com/GJakniVuyE
— Gateway Lunar Space Station (@NASA_Gateway) August 6, 2024
The space agency called on experienced astronauts Raja Chari and Nicole Mann to try out the VR experience.
“When they slip on their headsets, they’re not just seeing the station — they’re in it, meticulously surveying every detail and offering crucial insights on design and functionality,” NASA said in an article on its website.
It added: “During VR testing, astronauts engage in a variety of tasks that they expect to encounter in their day-to-day life on Gateway during real Artemis missions, including performing science experiments, retrieving supplies, and preparing warm meals.”
While Chari and Mann no doubt had a blast donning the headsets to explore a virtual representation of the first-ever lunar space station, there’s a serious side to the exercise as their feedback will allow engineers to refine the design of the outpost to make it safer and more comfortable for visitors.
NASA said that the Lunar Gateway, which should be ready to welcome astronauts on the Artemis IV mission currently scheduled for 2028, is set to revolutionize deep space exploration, acting as a testbed for next-generation technology and new science.
It described the lunar space station as a “critical component of the Artemis campaign to return humans to the lunar surface for scientific discovery and pave the way for the first human missions to Mars.”
The multi-modular facility will begin construction toward the end of this decade and take about five years to complete.
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