re: "lack of direction" and "advanced technology development"
My idea is that NASA should have program to buy water test payloads.
In order to get lower costs, NASA simply offers to buy water test payloads at a low price. Since, NASA currently has a no program to pay for test payloads, $500 per lb water delivered to orbit is better price than not paying anything. For this to work NASA would need keep the paperwork requirement low.