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We have devised an architecture that extends human reach beyond low Earth orbit by creating a permanent space transportation system with reusable and refuelable vehicles. Such a system is made possible by establishing an outpost on the Moon that harvests water and produces rocket propellant from the ice deposits of the permanently dark areas near the poles. Our plan is affordable, flexible and not tied to any specific launch vehicle or family of vehicles. Initially, robotic machines teleoperated from Earth prospect and extract water from local resources. These robots are launched separately over several years, allowing the program to be implemented under constrained and uncertain funding conditions. Additionally, this stepwise, incremental approach encourages and facilitates international and commercial participation. Humans arrive only after we have begun water production; our arbitrarily defined end stage is a fully functional, human-tended lunar outpost producing 150 metric tonnes of water per year – enough to export water from the Moon and create a permanent, extensible system that allows routine access for people and machines to all points of cislunar space. This cost-effective architecture advances technology and builds a sustainable space infrastructure. By eliminating the need to launch everything from the surface of the Earth, we fundamentally change the paradigm of spaceflight.
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