Space logistics development and future trend

As all the world looks ahead to the next generation of human space exploration missions (the USA and Russia even plan to develop new program which will take humans back to the Moon by 2020, to Mars, and beyond), it is quite important to consider the influence of space logistics, which is also a solution to achieve independence and self sufficiency, especially for long-duration complex deep space mission campaigns. In order to ensure that the future missions are feasible, reliable, affordable and sustainable, it is essential to take logistics strategy into account in the early stage of mission designing. This paper first summarizes the concept, technical disciplines, goals and objectives of space logistics, and then briefly introduces the current state of art of space logistics. At the end, the development trend is discussed.