According to the original Memorandum of Understanding between NASA and Rosaviakosmos, the International Space Station was intended to be a laboratory, observatory and factory in low Earth orbit. It was also planned to provide transportation, maintenance, and act as a staging base for possible future missions to the Moon, Mars and asteroids.[28] In the 2010 United States National Space Policy, the ISS was given additional roles of serving commercial, diplomatic[29] and educational purposes.[30]