Space logistics

According to the AIAA Space Logistics Technical Committee, space logistics is

However, this definition in its larger sense includes terrestrial logistics in support of space travel, including any additional "design and development, acquisition, storage, movement, distribution, maintenance, evacuation, and disposition of space materiel", movement of people in space (both routine and for medical and other emergencies), and contracting and supplying any required support services for maintaining space travel.

Wernher von Braun spoke of the necessity (and the underdevelopment) of space logistics as early as 1960:

James D. Baker and Frank Eichstadt of SPACEHAB wrote, in 2005:

According to Manufacturing Business Technology,

Among the supply classes identified by the MIT Space Logistics Center:

In the category of space transportation for ISS Support, one might list:

A snapshot of the logistics of a single space facility, the International Space Station, was provided in 2005 via a comprehensive study done by James Baker and Frank Eichstadt. This article section makes extensive reference to that study.

As of 2004^[update], the United States Space Shuttle, the Russian Progress, and to a very limited extent, the Russian Soyuz vehicles were the only space transport systems capable of transporting ISS cargo.

However, in 2004, it was already anticipated that the European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) and Japanese H-IIA Transfer Vehicle (HTV) would be introduced into service before the end of ISS Assembly. As of 2004, the US Shuttle transported the majority of the pressurized and unpressurized cargo and provides virtually all of the recoverable down mass capability (the capability of non-destructive reentry of cargo).

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