The Lunar Gateway is a proposed space station intended to orbit the Moon, playing a critical role in NASA's Artemis mission that aims to return humans to the lunar surface and establish a sustainable presence for scientific and commercial purposes, ultimately paving the way for future exploration of Mars. However, the Gateway project is currently grappling with significant delays and rising costs, which have led to discussions in the U.S. Congress regarding the project's funding amid a proposal from the president to cut finances for it. These challenges have sparked a debate among policymakers about the necessity and value of the Lunar Gateway in achieving the broader lunar objectives of the Artemis program. Despite the initial push to cancel the Gateway's funding, strong advocacy within the Senate has so far ensured its continuation, illustrating the ongoing conflict between budgetary constraints and ambitions for lunar exploration. The discourse surrounding the Gateway raises fundamental questions about whether such a space station is essential for realizing the scientific goals set forth by the Artemis mission and how best to allocate limited resources for the advancement of space exploration.