WHY NASA WANTS TO RETURN TO THE MOON PERMANENTLY

The Discovery of an underground lake on mars boosted hopes of finding life on the red planet but it is the moon that NASA has at the top of its mind.
For the first time since NASA's 1969 moon landing ,The US space agency is seeking a return to the sattellite.
Only this time , It want to make human presence in the lunar orbit permanent .
NASA'S proposed space station ,Called the Lunar Orbital Platform -Gateway, will also as a stopover for future Mars mission .
A Look at the mini space station in the works ....

NASA'S Gateway mission ,much like the international Space Station , is parternering with 12 other countries and private groups
to build the permanent lunar orbital station.With a permanent presence in the moon's orbit ,Nasa will also send vehicles back and forth between the
Gateway and the lunar surface carrying astronaut and equipment

-6 weeks Duration that astronauts could stay on the Gateway at a time

-2019 When construction is likely to begin

-2025 When Gateway could begin its first orbit

The Gateway will be much smaller than the international space station and will be capable of holding one to two modules to host humans compared to the international station's 15 habitation modules

The Gateway mission could boost a future Mars mission

-Allow scientists to test equipment and give astronauts practice in our own backyard in preparation for a mars journey that could take around eight months

-Serve as a stopover for astronauts on Mars-bound mission

-Could be used as storage for supplies like fuel and oxygen that astronauts can pick up on their way
Image result for astronaut

Last December ,US president Donald Trump made lunar exploration Nasa's top priority to establish longer -term presence on moon