The NASA Vision for Space Exploration released in February, 2004 promoted achieving four major goals and objectives: i) implementing a sustained and affordable human and robotic program, ii) extending the human presence across the solar system starting with returning to the Moon by 2020, iii) developing innovative technologies and infrastructures for human space exploration, and iv) promoting international and commercial participation in space exploration. Fundamental to achieving these goals was the need to identify and map space resources, develop new technologies to harness the Moon's and Mars' abundant resources, and develop reusable planetary landers, launch systems, and propellant depots. The ability to extract and use space resources to create products and services for propulsion, power, crew protection, and planetary surface infrastructure, know as In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), is a completely new approach to human space exploration. In December, 2006 NASA released the first Lunar Architecture Team study which recognized both the benefits of incorporating ISRU as well as the uncertainty and risk associated with ISRU since no system had ever been operated in space, let alone on the ground at the time. The study also recognized that technology, design, and operational decisions for propulsion, power, and life support systems can be drastically different if ISRU capabilities are considered. The solution proposed was to establish a lunar architecture flexible enough to accommodate ISRU products and services when available, but not to rely on ISRU's benefits until it had been adequately proven.
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