Ok. You're talking about something else completely different.
The person who kicked off this thread is basically saying this:
1) You have a space ship. It's built! It's ready! It's going to MARS!
2) So you light the engines.
3) BUT... instead of going to Mars, you go to the "Lunar Gateway"!
4) You arrive at the "Lunar Gateway", shake people's hands, and pose for the cameras smiling, and answer questions from school kids about zero G, and how to go to the bathroom in space, and what happens to soapy water bubbles in space.
5) You then light the engines again, and you go to Mars.
That's what were talking about here. Which is...
POINTLESS for Mars missions.
It makes no sense in that context.
Now... what you're talking about is a different scenario.
If I understand what you're saying--and correct me if I'm wrong here--but you're saying that you actually don't want us to go to Lunar Surface or Mars surface right away?
Instead, you want us to learn to... float around some more on zero G space stations?
Ok... but we've been doing that since the 1970's.
Also speaking of safety of astronauts...
You're orbital Lunar Gateway station is going to expose your astronauts to HUGE doses of cosmic rays (since the station will orbit outside of Earth's magnetic field), for no gain!
There's no planned significant cosmic ray protection on the Lunar Gateway station.
At least if you are flying to Mars, for example, the cosmic ray dosage you're getting is for a purpose: to get to Mars! (And once on Mars you can protect yourself with Martian regolith over the living-hab. Same with the lunar surface.)
Anyways... I have to say I'm startled and shocked by just how many people here on r/space think it's a good idea to sink HUGE money into the "Lunar Gateway" orbital space station--again something we've been doing over and over since the 1970's--instead of an actual better funded mission to the SURFACE of the moon or Mars.
That's where the real science and discoveries await.
I'm just glad that there are some rich visionary thinkers, who are highly motivated and think differently on this matter, and will single handedly give humanity a much needed kick in the @ss and push forward!