The Autonomous Systems (AS) Project is comprised of two separate but complementary Project Elements:  Habitat Automation (HA) and Autonomous Cryogenic Loading Operations (ACLO). The primary customers of AS are the Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Autonomous Mission Operations (AMO) project, the AES Habitat Systems: Deep Space Habitat (DSH) definition and subsystem maturation project, the AES Integrated Ground Demonstration Unit and the 21st Century Ground Systems Program.  These activities defined in the AS Project also support the Office of the Chief Technologist technology roadmaps for developing or enabling ISHM and Autonomy (TA-4 Telerobotics and Autonomous Systems, TA-7 Human Exploration Destination Systems, and TA-13 Ground and Launch Systems Processing).

During the initial two-year period, the HA Project Element will test and demonstrate the technology it develops on the Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) and on the Space Station Training Facility (SSTF), in collaboration with AES AMO and AES DSH, with the goal of demonstrating the technology onboard the International Space Station (ISS) during an optional third year. The ACLO Project Element will test and demonstrate component technologies and autonomous cryogenic loading operations during the initial two-year period and the optional 3rd year at the Kennedy Space Center Cryogenic Test bed Laboratory.