# New Space Engineering Design: Characterization of Key Drivers
## 3 Results and Discussion
### Discussion per Application Domains
#### 3.2.3 Space Exploration  
Future missions and in-space servicing are not limited to near-Earth space. Driven by commercial, governmental, and scientific interests, current developments are extending beyond Earth orbit.  
The Moon represents the most immediate objective. Several crewed and robotic lunar missions are planned in the short term, including the international Artemis program. It represents a joint effort involving space agencies, such as NASA, ESA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), along with private companies, such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Astrobotic, as well as a wide range of smaller technology suppliers contributing across the value chain. Unlike the Apollo 11 mission, the goal extends further than a \"simple\" landing on the surface, aiming to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon and enable further exploration of deep space. Lunar settlements may serve as accelerating testbeds for breakthrough technologies in energy generation, water processing, and space robotics [16]. Programs such as Artemis are essential for designing and demonstrating technologies to support long-duration missions, starting from the International Space Station (ISS) to potential Mars bases, enabling localized production and space-based manufacturing [27]. Many of these activities belong to the broader ISRU practice, which aims to process locally available resources such as sunlight, water, and regolith-based materials [21; 121].  
Within this context, a new operational framework emerges, focused on component integration and raw material transformation, known as In-space Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM), or simply, In-Space Manufacturing (ISM) [122]. The use of 3D printing directly in space enables on-demand fabrication of components and recycling, reducing the need to transport heavy and numerous spare parts, with enormous savings in costs. Notable among ISAM-compatible technologies are microfluidic systems, widely used in bioengineering, which are compact, 3D-printable devices that are well suited to the miniaturization trend in small satellite platforms [123].  
To address the complexity and duration of servicing operations, particularly during long-distance and crewed missions, advanced and autonomous robotic systems are employed. These systems require the design of highly resilient architecture, enabled by durable and space-compatible materials, along with multi-robot cooperative configurations, dexterous manipulators, and artificial intelligence [22]. Heuristic design approaches help achieve resilience and adaptability to manage unexpected events, adopting solutions such as redundancy, graceful degradation, and environment and system monitoring [26]. To save on operational costs and ensure autonomy, the need for automation is also pursued in deep space navigation, supporting the expansion of new markets for small satellites and miniaturized subsystems, such as propulsion and avionics [124]. All these aspects are the results of expertise accumulated through numerous exploration missions led by space agencies and may soon be increasingly adopted in commercial activities. As with IOS operations, international cooperation and a solid legal framework for the management of off-Earth resources are essential to foster sustainable and collaborative space exploration [125].