Architecture data gaps: all 25¶
The current architecture lists 25 architecture-driven data gaps: 19 lunar (DN-001 L
to DN-019 L) and 6 Mars (DN-001 M to DN-006 M)
(Data gaps spreadsheet, Dec 2025).
A data gap is missing information, not missing technology: it "exist[s] where a lack of
knowledge hinders NASA's ability to achieve its Moon to Mars Objectives"
(ACR25 data-gaps white paper, p. 1). The
Moon Base Users Guide names all 19 lunar data gaps among its challenges for "near-term
Moon Base development" (p. 11), which Phase 1 missions help close "to enable essential phase two
and phase three capabilities"
(Users Guide, pp. 11–13). By
contrast it names 19 of the 57 technology gaps.
Key facts¶
- Not prioritized. Unlike the tech gaps, the data gaps have no bin or rating. The list is "an initial list of high-priority, near-term items; they are not a comprehensive or prioritized representation of NASA's data needs" (ACR25 data-gaps white paper, p. 4). The ADD says the same: "The current list is an initial representative sample — it is neither comprehensive nor complete. While the current data gaps are not listed in priority order, they all represent near-term, high-priority needs" (ADD Rev C, p. 81).
- Partial answers count. "Data gaps do not set requirements; they provide guidance to potential data providers on the data qualities that NASA values most. In most cases, even partially addressing the defined data gap is valuable to the architecture" (ADD Rev C, p. 81).
- Agnostic about method. The gaps "identify a need, but do not prescribe how NASA or its partners could acquire the data". They "are not procurement directives, nor do they set a monetary value for needed data" (p. 1). The Data Type column describes the kind of data, not a required method.
- A demand signal for partners. The gaps "communicate a demand signal and indicate partnership potential" (p. 1). NASA "can acquire this partner data through data-sharing agreements, data buys, or other methods" (p. 2). The Users Guide adds that "Missions during phase one of Moon Base development offer opportunities to collect data and mature technologies to enable essential phase two and phase three capabilities" (Users Guide, p. 11).
- Revised every year. "Annual revisions of the Architecture Definition Document will include updated lists" (white paper, p. 3).
- No published links to tech gaps. The two "can be connected", and NASA "will continue to track the connections" (p. 2), but neither spreadsheet names the other's gaps. The only source-made pairing is the Users Guide's shared challenges. The ADD adds that the two can swap: "Technology gaps may transition to data gaps and vice versa as the architecture's needs evolve and technology development advances. NASA re-evaluates this relationship annually" (ADD Rev C, p. 79).
- Five of them replace a former technology gap. Rev C removed tech gap #0602 "In-situ Resource Identification, Characterization, and Mapping" and "replaced [it] with five architecture-driven data gaps": DN-006 L, DN-007 L, DN-008 L, DN-010 L and DN-013 L (2025 Architecture Update, p. 14; ADD Rev C, p. 202). See gaps index.
- Also summarized in the 2025 Architecture Update (p. 11), which repeats the white paper's definition, its Figure One and its four-gap "data utility" table, and calls the Rev C list "a preliminary list of architecture-driven data gaps, which will evolve annually as NASA closes gaps and identifies new ones" (2025 Architecture Update, p. 11).
What the ADD says a data gap is (Section 3.3)¶
ADD Rev C Section 3.3 (pp. 80–81) introduces the data gaps; the records themselves are in its Appendix E (pp. 262–289; see below) and the spreadsheet. Page numbers below are ADD Rev C.
- Data need. "NASA defines this information as a data need: data that, if obtained, would enhance or enable advancement of science, technology, exploration and/or operations to support the development of the Moon to Mars Architecture." "Data needs are not an entirely new concept. Historically, working groups and chartered teams have documented and tracked the types of data that the agency should be interested in acquiring" (p. 80).
- Data gap. "NASA identifies a subset of these data needs as architecture-driven data gaps: data the agency needs to advance the Moon to Mars Architecture but that is not met by any existing information. Data gaps communicate a demand signal for information that could be provided by NASA or external partner activities/missions" (p. 80).
- Existing data still counts. "The identification of data gaps does not diminish the utility of existing data already collected by NASA and partners … Data gaps express a desire to build upon NASA's current understanding on the lunar and Martian environments in areas that have major impacts on exploration activities" (p. 80).
- What each records. Data gaps "define the driving need, what data is needed, and why the data is valuable". "A standardized template is used to communicate the key aspects of a data gap", and the gaps "capture both the current state of relevant data and the implications for the architecture if NASA does not satisfy the data need" (p. 81).
- Who it is for. The gaps "inform ongoing engagement between NASA, other governmental agencies, industry, academia, and international partners about data that NASA is interested in acquiring. This demand signal helps partners align their activities and investments with the Moon to Mars Architecture's needs" (p. 81).
- Benefits of closing them include "informing human exploration mission operations, element design, and the understanding of crew risk; supporting technology or system maturation efforts; enabling NASA to assess expected architecture performance; or guiding observation and science needs" (p. 81).
- The figure on p. 80, "Defining Architecture-Driven Data Gaps" (read from the PDF), is the same diagram as the white paper's Figure One: data need, acquirable data, and the data gap where they overlap, with "Target Measurement Parameters" and "Impact and Benefits" beneath. It is described on the white paper's source page. The text before it says "The figures below", but p. 80 has one figure and p. 81 none.
- Segments. "The data gaps span all architecture segments" (p. 81). The spreadsheet's Segment column lists no gap under Sustained Lunar Evolution, and neither do the ADD's own 25 tables in Appendix E (pp. 265–289) (counts; open question 21).
- How it changes. "Appendix E captures this year's architecture-driven data gaps list. The list will evolve as gaps close and NASA identifies new gaps … Future revisions of this document will update the list" (p. 81).
Briefed at the January 2026 workshop¶
The Strategy and Architecture Office briefed the data gaps at the January 2026 workshop for industry and academia, a month after Rev C. A briefing ranks below the ADD and the white paper; what it says differently is set beside them here. Slide numbers are the deck's. The international partners heard the same briefing on 24–25 February 2026 (slides 28–34 of their deck, the HLR caveat on slide 30), without the two lists of slides 47–48 (source page).
- The same list. Slides 13 and 47–48 list all 25 gaps by ID and title as in ADD Rev C (p. 263), under "High priority, but not in priority order" (slide 47). Slide 47 gives DN-016 L's data type as "In Situ Measurement", as the ADD's table does (p. 280), not the sheet's "In Situ Monitoring" (the wiki's comparison; counts). Slide 42 repeats the white paper's four "data utility" statements and #0602's replacement by five data gaps.
- A caveat on Human Lunar Return. "Sufficient data exist to enable initial Artemis Missions in Human Lunar Return (HLR)"; "Beyond initial missions, additional data is needed", "To enable model validation", "To reduce uncertainty", "To reduce mission risk" (slide 41). Seventeen of the 25 gaps give HLR as their segment, the time "the data is needed" (By segment). The slide doesn't say which HLR missions are "initial", and no December 2025 document has the sentence (searched); see open question 84.
- Other caveats (slide 41): "Incomplete initial data gap sample set to start", "Grow and refine this year"; "Incremental progress is valuable to enable immediate response". The ADD's "even partially addressing the defined data gap is valuable" (p. 81) is the nearest Rev C wording (the wiki's comparison).
- The definition, worded differently (slide 43; the wiki's comparison). A data gap is "A Data Need that is not satisfied by available information, requiring the acquisition of new or improved data" (the slide's italics), where the white paper's Figure One has "Requires the acquisition of new data" and the ADD "not met by any existing information" (p. 80). The slide's data need adds "utilization" to the white paper's "science, technology, exploration, or operations". Its third term is "DATA AVAILABLE", "Information that can be used to generate data products that can be acquired (or currently exists but may not satisfy the needs of stakeholders)", where the white paper's is "acquirable data" (white paper, Figure One).
- Purpose and impacts (slides 40, 45). Purpose: "Define and communicate integrated NASA data needs"; "Focus limited resources strategically", "To inform payload missions", "To enable data acquisition", "To optimize asset designs"; "Build knowledge base necessary to enable M2M Architecture and future elements"; "Characterize natural and induced environments, resources, terrain on surface, in space, in atmosphere, etc."; "Reduce risk on M2M Missions". The six impacts on slide 45 follow the white paper's list (p. 1), with "Support space exploration" in place of "enable crew health and performance" (the wiki's comparison).
- How the records are built (slide 44): "Built from rigorous systems engineering principles which were also used to define technology gaps", "All fields defined by integrated input of stakeholders/SMEs", "Traced to NASA Blueprint Objectives & categorized by drivers" ("Blueprint" not expanded), "Solution-agnostic", "A single data collection solution can contribute to multiple gaps".
The roundtable that followed (slide 46) had five panelists: three from NASA, one from NASA-SSERVI and one from Intuitive Machines; its discussion is not in the deck.
What each data gap's table holds (ADD Appendix E)¶
ADD Rev C's Appendix E "contains a set of architecture-driven data gap summary tables that capture key information, such as a description of the data gap, traceability and timing needs from the architecture, existing available data and solutions and risks, and the impact if the data is unavailable versus the benefits the data would bring". It adds: "Data Gaps listed here represent types of information desired by NASA to enable and enhance the agency's Moon to Mars Architecture" (p. 262). Page numbers below are ADD Rev C; all were checked against the PDF.
The appendix defines ten fields (p. 262). The spreadsheet's Key sheet defines eleven, because it splits impacts and benefits into two columns. The ADD's tables print them under one heading with two sub-headings.
| Field (ADD) | ADD's definition (p. 262) | Key sheet's wording, where it differs | Data-gap page section |
|---|---|---|---|
| ID | "A unique three-digit identifier" | "A numeric identification" | title |
| Title | "Brief description of the Data Gap, including keywords/terms" | "Brief and clear descriptor of the Data Gap that includes proper keywords/terms" | title |
| Description | "Clear statement of need" | same | Description |
| Need Driver | "Area(s) where the data gap has the highest impact" | same | Need driver and data type |
| Data Type | "Category of data (e.g., orbit-to-surface imagery, in-situ measurement, etc.)" | "Category of Data (i.e. Orbit-to-Surface Imagery, In situ measurement, etc.)" | Need driver and data type |
| Segment | "The segment during which the data is needed, but not necessarily when it is collected" | "The M2M segment during which …" | Traceability |
| Objective | "Mapping of the data gap to the Moon to Mars Objectives" | "Mapping of the Data Gap to the M2M Objectives" | Traceability |
| Target Measurement Parameters | "A set of measurable goals/metrics to define the criteria for the data gap being successfully fulfilled" | same | Target measurement parameters |
| Current State of Data | "A summary of existing data sets and capabilities, with associated risks and insufficiencies" | same | Current state of data |
| Impacts and Benefits | "A description of the architectural risk that the absence of this data incurs, as well as the benefits that the data offers" | two columns: "Impact if Data is Unavailable" ("A description of what is unable to be done, or additional risk incurred in the absence of this data") and "Benefits if Data is available" ("A description of the capabilities enabled and other benefits of the availability of this data") | Impact if data is unavailable; Benefits if data is available |
"Same" means the same words, apart from capitals. The Key sheet's wording is from the spreadsheet's source page.
- The list (E.1, pp. 263–264). "The current list of data gaps represents a snapshot in time. Future revisions of this document will update the list as gaps close and new gaps are identified. The current list is a representative sample — it is neither comprehensive nor complete. While the current data gaps are not listed in priority order, they all represent near-term, high-priority needs" (p. 263). The list gives ID and title only, DN-001 L to DN-019 L and then DN-001 M to DN-006 M. There is no priority, bin or rating, as in the spreadsheet.
- The catalog (E.2, pp. 265–289). One page per gap, in ID order, from DN-001 L on p. 265 to DN-019 L on p. 283 and DN-001 M on p. 284 to DN-006 M on p. 289. Page 290 is the divider for Appendix F.
- How the tables look (from the PDF; the text layer interleaves the columns). The title sits in a header band beside a box with ID, objectives and data type. Below are the gap description, the need driver, and the segment, shown as an icon labeled "Human Lunar Return", "Foundational Exploration" or "Humans to Mars". Then come the target measurement parameters, "Impacts and Benefits" (sub-headings "Impacts if Data is Unavailable" and "Benefits if Data is Available"), and the current state of data (e.g. p. 265). Unlike the technology-gap tables in Appendix D, the targets carry no Moon or Mars icon.
-
Checked against the spreadsheet. All 25 tables were compared with their spreadsheet rows field for field (text layer, every page checked in the PDF). 23 match exactly. The two exceptions are both content differences:
- DN-016 L, data type. The ADD prints "In Situ Measurement" (p. 280); the sheet has "In Situ Monitoring".
- DN-007 L, one sentence of its impacts. The ADD has "a critical input for both ISRU system design and architecture analysis and identification of potential water reserve sites" (p. 271); the sheet has "a critical input for ISRU system design, architecture analysis, and identification of potential water reserve sites". Only the wording differs.
Both documents are from December 2025, so the wiki picks neither. Pages, tables and counts follow the sheet and note the ADD (open question 38). There is also one print difference. The E.1 list titles DN-005 L "Optical images from lunar surface at the lunar south pole" (p. 263), while its table (p. 269) and the sheet have "from the lunar surface".
-
The sheet's quirks are in the ADD too. "Permanently Shadow Regions" (DN-001 L, p. 265), "<0.1 vertical error" with no unit (DN-002 L, p. 266), "ins resolution" (DN-018 L, p. 282), and the mass range "10-6 - 102 g" (DN-015 L, p. 279). On the rendered page the range shows no visible superscripts, and the spreadsheet stores it as plain text (cell H16, sheet "Rev C Data Gaps", no superscript formatting). Reading it as 10⁻⁶ to 10² g is the wiki's inference (DN-015 L; open question 20).
- Segments. The 25 segment icons give the same split as the sheet: Human Lunar Return 17, Foundational Exploration 2, Humans to Mars 6, and none under Sustained Lunar Evolution (pp. 265–289; counts).
All 25¶
The labels are short labels written for this index; each page has the full title. "Challenges" counts the Users Guide Moon Base challenges that cite the gap (pp. 12–13; see Technology and knowledge challenges). Need drivers are abbreviated: Site = Lunar Exploration Surface Site Characterization, Resource = Lunar Resource Exploration, Natural = Lunar (or Mars) Surface Natural Environment Characterization, Induced = Lunar (or Mars) Surface Induced Environment Characterization.
| ID | Label | Need driver | Data type | Segment | Objectives | Moon Base challenges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DN-001 L | Sub-meter orbital imaging of South Pole sites | Site | Orbit-to-Surface Imagery | HLR | LPS-01 LM, SE-05 LM, LI-03 L | 2: landing; securing sites |
| DN-002 L | High-fidelity elevation maps (DEM) | Site | Remote Sensing | HLR | SE-05 LM, LI-03 L, TH-03 L | 2: landing; securing sites |
| DN-003 L | Time-resolved thermal mapping | Site | Remote Sensing | HLR | SE-05 LM, AS-01 LM, TH-03 L | 1: securing sites |
| DN-004 L | Imaging missions in progress | Site | Orbit-to-Surface Monitoring | HLR | SE-05 LM, TH-03 L | 1: securing sites |
| DN-005 L | Surface panoramas of real lighting | Site | Surface-to-Surface Imagery | HLR | SE-05 LM | 2: securing sites; solar power |
| DN-006 L | Orbital mapping of water ice | Resource | Remote Sensing | FE | AS-03 LM, LI-07 L, OP-03 LM | 2: securing sites; ISRU systems |
| DN-007 L | In-situ water ice distribution and makeup | Resource | In Situ Measurement | FE | AS-03 LM, LI-07 L, OP-03 LM | 2: securing sites; ISRU systems |
| DN-008 L | Regolith geotechnical properties | Natural | In Situ Measurement/Sample Return | HLR | AS-01 LM, LI-07 L, LI-08 L, TH-03 L, OP-05 LM | 5: long duration; securing sites; manipulating regolith; electrical connections; pressurized mating |
| DN-009 L | Regolith electrostatic properties | Natural | In Situ Measurement | HLR | AS-01 LM, LI-07 L, LI-08 L, TH-03 L, OP-05 LM | 6: long duration; securing sites; manipulating regolith; electrical connections; wireless charging; pressurized mating |
| DN-010 L | Regolith elemental and mineral composition | Natural | In Situ Measurement/Sample Return | HLR | LPS-01 LM, LI-07 L, LI-08 L | 4: long duration; securing sites; manipulating regolith; pressurized mating |
| DN-011 L | Surface plasma environment | Natural | In Situ Measurement | HLR | HS-03 LM, AS-01 LM, TH-03 L | 1: long duration |
| DN-012 L | Surface radiation and space weather | Natural | In Situ Monitoring | HLR | HS-01 LM, AS-01 LM, TH-03 L, LI-09 L | 1: long duration |
| DN-013 L | Other near-surface volatiles | Natural | In Situ Measurement | HLR | LPS-03 LM, AS-01 LM, TH-03 L | 2: long duration; securing sites |
| DN-014 L | Sub-meter rock sizes and shapes | Natural | In Situ Measurement | HLR | SE-05 LM, LI-06 L, TH-03 L, OP-05 LM | 2: landing; securing sites |
| DN-015 L | Meteoroid ejecta flux and size | Natural | In Situ Measurement | HLR | AS-01 LM, LI-09 L, TH-03 L | 1: long duration |
| DN-016 L | Seismic activity | Natural | In Situ Monitoring (ADD p. 280: In Situ Measurement) | HLR | AS-01 LM, LI-09 L, TH-03 L | 1: long duration |
| DN-017 L | Plume ejecta particle velocity (PSI) | Induced | In Situ Measurement | HLR | SE-07 LM, LI-05 L, TH-03 L | 2: landing; small cargo return |
| DN-018 L | Landing-site alteration by plumes | Induced | In Situ Measurement | HLR | SE-07 LM, LI-05 L, TH-03 L | 2: landing; small cargo return |
| DN-019 L | Dust particle flux and charge | Induced | In Situ Measurement | HLR | AS-01 LM, TH-03 L | 6: long duration; manipulating regolith; solar power; thermal generators; electrical connections; pressurized mating |
| DN-001 M | Regolith, rock and bedrock geotechnics | Natural (Mars) | In Situ Measurement | H2M | MI-04 M, TH-06 M, TH-07 M, OP-05 LM | none (Mars) |
| DN-002 M | Water content at exploration sites | Natural (Mars) | In Situ Measurement | H2M | TH-06 M, TH-07 M | none (Mars) |
| DN-003 M | Local surface weather | Natural (Mars) | In Situ Measurement | H2M | TH-06 M, TH-07 M | none (Mars) |
| DN-004 M | Atmosphere at EDL altitudes | Natural (Mars) | In Situ Measurement | H2M | TH-06 M, TH-07 M | none (Mars) |
| DN-005 M | Plume ejecta particle velocity (PSI) | Induced (Mars) | In Situ Measurement | H2M | SE-07 LM, TH-06 M, TH-07 M | none (Mars) |
| DN-006 M | Landing-site alteration by plumes | Induced (Mars) | In Situ Measurement | H2M | SE-07 LM, TH-06 M, TH-07 M | none (Mars) |
"Landing" is the headline challenge "Landing Safely and Accurately on the Lunar Surface", and "long duration" is "Operating on the Lunar Surface for Long Durations". The others are associated challenges.
Counts¶
Derived here from the spreadsheet; the sheet has no summary.
| By need driver | Gaps |
|---|---|
| Lunar Exploration Surface Site Characterization | 5 (DN-001 L to DN-005 L) |
| Lunar Resource Exploration | 2 (DN-006 L, DN-007 L) |
| Lunar Surface Natural Environment Characterization | 9 (DN-008 L to DN-016 L) |
| Lunar Surface Induced Environment Characterization | 3 (DN-017 L to DN-019 L) |
| Mars Surface Natural Environment Characterization | 4 (DN-001 M to DN-004 M) |
| Mars Surface Induced Environment Characterization | 2 (DN-005 M, DN-006 M) |
| By data type | Gaps |
|---|---|
| In Situ Measurement | 15 (9 lunar, all 6 Mars) |
| In Situ Measurement/Sample Return | 2 (DN-008 L, DN-010 L) |
| In Situ Monitoring | 2 (DN-012 L, DN-016 L) |
| Remote Sensing | 3 (DN-002 L, DN-003 L, DN-006 L) |
| Orbit-to-Surface Imagery | 1 (DN-001 L) |
| Orbit-to-Surface Monitoring | 1 (DN-004 L) |
| Surface-to-Surface Imagery | 1 (DN-005 L) |
These counts follow the spreadsheet. ADD Rev C's table for DN-016 L gives "In Situ Measurement" (p. 280), which would make In Situ Measurement 16 and In Situ Monitoring 1 (open question 38). The January 2026 workshop's list follows the ADD here (slide 47).
So 19 of the 25 ask for measurements on the surface (in situ, sample return or monitoring). All six remote-sensing and imagery gaps are lunar, and five of them are the site characterization group.
| By segment | Gaps |
|---|---|
| Human Lunar Return (HLR) | 17 (all lunar gaps except DN-006 L and DN-007 L) |
| Foundational Exploration (FE) | 2 (DN-006 L, DN-007 L) |
| Humans to Mars (H2M) | 6 (all Mars gaps) |
| Sustained Lunar Evolution (SLE) | 0 |
Briefed in January 2026: "Sufficient data exist to enable initial Artemis Missions in Human Lunar Return (HLR)" (above; open question 84).
The segment is when "the data is needed, but not necessarily when it is collected" (Data gaps spreadsheet, Key sheet; the same words in ADD Rev C, p. 262). The ADD's 25 tables give the same segments as the sheet (pp. 265–289). Segment codes are expanded in ADD Rev C's acronym list (ADD Rev C, p. 292). The tech-gap spreadsheet uses only FE, SLE and H2M, so most data gaps sit in a segment no tech gap lists; the ADD says tech gaps leave out Human Lunar Return because its technology is already funded by "the current programs" (ADD Rev C, p. 79; gaps index). No data gap lists SLE, though the ADD says the data gaps "span all architecture segments" (p. 81). Segments are not Moon Base phases, and no source maps one to the other.
Moon Base: which challenges cite which data gaps¶
All 19 lunar data gaps are cited at least once (Users Guide, pp. 12–13). By challenge:
| Challenge | Data gaps | Tech gaps cited with them |
|---|---|---|
| Landing safely and accurately (headline) | DN-001 L, DN-002 L, DN-014 L, DN-017 L, DN-018 L | #1101 (technology half) |
| Operating for long durations (headline) | DN-008 L to DN-013 L, DN-015 L, DN-016 L, DN-019 L | #0101, #0201, #0301, #0801, #0804 (technology half) |
| Securing sites | DN-001 L to DN-010 L, DN-013 L, DN-014 L | none |
| Small cargo return | DN-017 L, DN-018 L | none |
| Manipulating regolith | DN-008 L, DN-009 L, DN-010 L, DN-019 L | #0505, #0605 |
| Solar power | DN-005 L, DN-019 L | #0504, #0901, #0903 |
| Thermal generators | DN-019 L | #0301, #0901 |
| Electrical connections | DN-008 L, DN-009 L, DN-019 L | #0903 |
| Wireless charging | DN-009 L | #0903 |
| Pressurized mating | DN-008 L, DN-009 L, DN-010 L, DN-019 L | #0807 |
| ISRU systems | DN-006 L, DN-007 L | #0601, #0603, #0604, #0605 |
Four of the thirteen associated challenges cite no data gap: surface-to-surface comms, moving logistics, timing systems and initial habitation. The most-cited data gaps are DN-009 L and DN-019 L (six challenges each), then DN-008 L (five). Every power, connection and mating challenge (solar power, thermal generators, electrical connections, wireless charging, pressurized mating) cites at least one of DN-009 L (regolith electrostatics) and DN-019 L (dust flux and charge).
Phase 1 missions measuring the same things¶
This table is the wiki's own matching, not the sources'. No source says these missions address these data gaps. The table matches what NASA's Moon Base pages say a Phase 1 mission will measure against what a data gap asks for. Only close matches are listed (open question 11). The one source-made link is that DN-017 L's own row names SCALPSS, for its earlier flight on Blue Ghost.
| Mission or payload (Phase 1 per the phases page) | What the page says it will do | Data gaps on the same subject | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCALPSS on Blue Moon MK1 "Endurance" | "capture high-resolution imagery before, during, and after landing to study how rocket engine plumes interact with the lunar surface" (Moon Base Phases, "Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 1") | DN-017 L, DN-018 L | One lander type at one site; both gaps ask for "different sites" and "different plume conditions (i.e. lander types)". |
| LDES on Griffin-1 and IM-3 | "measure how lunar dust accumulates on spacecraft and surface systems" ("Voyager Technologies' Griffin‑1", "Intuitive Machines' IM‑3") | DN-019 L | Accumulation only; DN-019 L also asks for particle charge. IM-3 lands at Reiner Gamma, not the South Pole. |
| VIPER | 1-meter drill; will "sample lunar soil at different depths and temperatures, searching for water ice and other volatiles", including in permanently shadowed craters ("VIPER") | DN-007 L, DN-013 L | Both gaps ask for measurements to 1 m depth, in situ. |
| MoonFall | "creating terrain maps of potential landing sites"; instruments "will measure radiation levels, search for water ice beneath the surface" ("MoonFall") | DN-002 L, DN-012 L, DN-007 L | DN-012 L asks for long-term surface monitoring; the page gives no MoonFall duration. |
Not matched: CAPSTONE 02's radiation measurements are in lunar orbit, while DN-012 L asks for the surface, and Griffin-1's METAL (helium-3) payload matches no gap closely. See Missions and assets.
Moon Base science payloads with no phase (PRISM, September 2026)¶
Also the wiki's matching. NASA selected three PRISM suites to fly via CLPS "as part of the agency's Moon Base Program", but gave no phase, date or lander, and named no data gap (PRISM release).
| Suite | What the release says it will do | Data gaps on the same subject | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEMS-SP | "long-term environmental and hazard monitoring"; a "short‑period seismometer to detect seismic events"; "monitoring falling micrometeoroids" | DN-016 L; DN-015 L in part | Close for DN-016 L, which counts "incoming meteoroids" as seismic events and asks for "continuous monitoring". DN-016 L wants "multiple locations" in the south polar region; LEMS-SP is one station, and only its name places it at the South Pole. DN-015 L asks for the ejecta of impacts, not the falling micrometeoroids themselves. |
| DISCO | "the first direct, on-the-ground measurements of ice hidden in lunar micro-cold traps"; "how rocket exhaust disturbs the ground"; how stable the surface is "for mobility" | DN-007 L; DN-017 L, DN-018 L; DN-008 L | Same subjects. The release gives no site or measurement depth; DN-007 L asks for "vertical resolution <20 cm depth intervals to 1 m depth". |
| GIMLI | Will "hunt for subterranean lava tubes" at the Marius Hills Pit, as possible shelter from temperature extremes, radiation and micrometeoroids | none | No data gap covers subsurface voids. The site is not at the South Pole. |
LEMS-SP also tracks volatiles "that drift into the Moon's thin outer layer of gases". That is not DN-013 L, which asks for "Volatile abundance to at least 1 m depth".
The four late-2028 CLPS landings (June 2026)¶
Also the wiki's matching. NASA selected four landings for late 2028 "as part of the agency's Moon Base Program", on three companies' landers, and "Each delivery will carry three NASA payloads". The release gives no sites or phase and names no data gap (June 2026 release).
| Payload | What the release says | Data gaps on the same subject | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCALPSS | "a 3D view of the impact of an engine's exhaust plume on lunar dust as the lander descends", "from a variety of engine sizes, propellants, and landing locations", for "models to predict lunar dust erosion and ejecta characteristics" | DN-017 L, DN-018 L | Closer than the single Phase One flight above: four landings on three companies' landers answer the gaps' call for "different sites" and "different plume conditions (i.e. lander types)", if the sites differ. The release doesn't give them. |
| LETS | "how strong radiation is and what kind of radiation is hitting the lunar surface", "from a variety of lunar transit approaches and at different locations on the lunar surface" | DN-012 L | Partial. Same subject, but DN-012 L asks for long-term measurements at the South Pole, including neutron spectra to at least 100 MeV; the release mentions neither neutrons nor duration. |
| LRA | passive "location markers" for orbiters and landers | none | Navigation aid, not a data gap's subject. |
Objectives: which data gaps trace to each¶
Derived from the Objective column. The sheet gives codes only. The prefixes are the ten goals of ADD Rev C (AS Applied Science, LI Lunar Infrastructure, TH Transportation and Habitation, and so on); see Objectives: the ten goals. The 17 lunar codes below are all in the lunar objective decomposition, and their wording is on Lunar objectives, with this table's data gaps in a column. The three Mars-only codes, MI-04 M, TH-06 M and TH-07 M, aren't in the lunar sheet; their 2022 wording is on Objectives. The suffixes give "the applicability to Lunar (L), Martian (M) or both (LM)" (Objectives).
| Objective | Data gaps |
|---|---|
| AS-01 LM | DN-003 L, DN-008 L, DN-009 L, DN-011 L, DN-012 L, DN-013 L, DN-015 L, DN-016 L, DN-019 L |
| AS-03 LM | DN-006 L, DN-007 L |
| HS-01 LM | DN-012 L |
| HS-03 LM | DN-011 L |
| LI-03 L | DN-001 L, DN-002 L |
| LI-05 L | DN-017 L, DN-018 L |
| LI-06 L | DN-014 L |
| LI-07 L | DN-006 L, DN-007 L, DN-008 L, DN-009 L, DN-010 L |
| LI-08 L | DN-008 L, DN-009 L, DN-010 L |
| LI-09 L | DN-012 L, DN-015 L, DN-016 L |
| LPS-01 LM | DN-001 L, DN-010 L |
| LPS-03 LM | DN-013 L |
| MI-04 M | DN-001 M |
| OP-03 LM | DN-006 L, DN-007 L |
| OP-05 LM | DN-008 L, DN-009 L, DN-014 L, DN-001 M |
| SE-05 LM | DN-001 L, DN-002 L, DN-003 L, DN-004 L, DN-005 L, DN-014 L |
| SE-07 LM | DN-017 L, DN-018 L, DN-005 M, DN-006 M |
| TH-03 L | 14 lunar gaps: DN-002 L to DN-004 L, DN-008 L, DN-009 L, DN-011 L to DN-019 L |
| TH-06 M | all six Mars gaps |
| TH-07 M | all six Mars gaps |
20 objective codes in all. TH-03 L is the most common: 14 of the 19 lunar gaps.
Lunar and Mars counterparts¶
Three Mars gaps closely mirror a lunar one in wording (read off the descriptions and targets):
| Lunar | Mars | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| DN-008 L geotechnical properties | DN-001 M | Mars adds rock and bedrock, fracturing and "suitability for landing" |
| DN-017 L PSI particle velocity | DN-005 M | Mars adds "Local atmospheric density during plume surface interaction" |
| DN-018 L landing-site alteration | DN-006 M | Mars asks for "cm scale or better"; the Moon "cm-m scale" |
Related pages¶
Data gaps spreadsheet · ACR25 data-gaps white paper · Technology and knowledge challenges · Environment · Technology gaps index · Moon Base hub
Sources¶
Data gaps spreadsheet · ACR25 data-gaps white paper, pp. 1–4 · Users Guide, pp. 11–13 · ADD Rev C, pp. 79–81, 202, 262–290, 292 · 2025 Architecture Update, pp. 11, 14 · Moon Base Phases