NASA and Europe Officially Sign Deal to Build Orbital Moon Base - Futurism

Moving forward, the Gateway station — which is meant to allow long-term lunar exploration by serving as a middle ground between space and the lunar surface — will be an international venture, according to a NASA press release.

And after helping establish a human presence on and around the Moon, tantalizingly, the joint project could help both NASA and the ESA eventually reach Mars.

Construction on the Gateway space station could begin by 2022.