Europe's I-Hab: Continuing the Spacelab Legacy to the Moon
Europe's legacy of space modules, starting with the launch of Spacelab in 1983, continues with the development of I-Hab, an element of the Artemis Gateway station that will be deployed in lunar orbit. The hardware for these modules is built and assembled in Europe, with pressure shells still being machined in Turin, Italy, and integration work done in Bremen, Germany. I-Hab will serve as living quarters for crews of four aboard the Gateway and is designed to be smaller and stronger than previous European modules. It will have a "shirtsleeves" working environment and a design lifetime of 15 years. Additionally, plans are underway to deploy Spacelab-size modules on the lunar surface for a future moon base.
