Moon to Mars Architecture Executive Overview: 2023 Architecture Concept Review¶
Document: Moon to Mars Architecture Executive Overview, subtitled "2023 Architecture Concept
Review" on the cover. It runs to 12 PDF pages and names no author beyond NASA. Date: none is
printed. It reports that "In January 2024, alongside the release of an update to the Architecture
Definition Document, NASA published 13 new white papers" (PDF p. 9). The update it means is
Revision A, released 01/22/2024 (ADD Rev C, p. 3),
though the overview doesn't name it. The back cover carries "NP-2024-01-3212-HQ" (PDF p. 12), and
the download path is 2024/01. The wiki calls it the 2023 executive overview, after the review it
reports on. Files: text
sources/text/docs/2024-01-2023-moon-to-mars-architecture-executive-overview.txt; raw
sources/raw/docs/2024-01-2023-moon-to-mars-architecture-executive-overview.pdf (fetched
2026-10-01T07:22:46Z from
https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-moon-to-mars-architecture-executive-overview.pdf,
per sources/manifest.csv). All 12 pages were read in the text layer and checked as rendered pages.
Page numbers. The printed numbers are one lower than the PDF pages: the cover is unnumbered,
and the contents page, PDF p. 2, is printed "1". The wiki cites PDF pages, which match the text
file's [page N] markers, as for the other documents with an offset
(open question 29). The table below gives both. Four of
the contents page's own numbers don't match the printed pages (Oddities).
Summary. A ten-page glossy summary of the 2023 review cycle, for a general reader. It covers why NASA explores (the three pillars), what "architecture" means and how NASA decomposes objectives, one line per goal, the four segments, and the twelve sub-architectures, four of them "New for 2023". Then come the 13 white papers of January 2024, the six elements added in 2023, the new "element initiation" milestone, and the plan for the 2024 cycle. It is context, older than ADD Rev C: almost everything in it is now in the ADD in fuller form. What it adds is history: which sub-architectures and elements came in 2023, when element initiation began, and how the annual cadence was drawn at the time.
Contents¶
| PDF page | Printed | Section | Wiki home |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | Cover | |
| 2 | 1 | Contents; Introduction; "Why Explore?" (the three pillars); Figure 1 | Why Moon to Mars |
| 3 | 2 | "The Architecture Process"; key terms; photo of the 2023 review | Architecture definition process; key terms on Architecture framework |
| 4 | 3 | Figure 2; "selecting the right tools" (the #2 pencil) | Objective decomposition |
| 5 | 4 | "Moon to Mars Objectives": one line per goal; Figure 3 | goal lines below; Objectives |
| 6 | 5 | "Architecture Segments" | Segments |
| 7 | 6 | "Sub-Architectures": eight, plus four "New for 2023" | Sub-architectures |
| 8–9 | 7–8 | "2023 White Papers" | below; Key Mars Architecture Decisions on Key definition tasks |
| 10 | 9 | "New Architecture Elements for 2023"; "element initiation" | Elements |
| 11 | 10 | "Forward Work"; Figure 4 | Architecture definition process |
| 12 | — | Back cover: NASA Headquarters; "NP-2024-01-3212-HQ" | above |
What the PDF shows that the text layer loses¶
Read from the rendered pages. Labels are as printed; descriptions of layout are the wiki's.
- Figure 1 (PDF p. 2), "The three pillars of exploration for NASA's Moon to Mars effort." The Venn diagram of Science, Inspiration and National Posture that ADD Rev C prints on p. 105. As the wiki reads both images, every label sits in the same region. The label between Science and National Posture reads "Advance Science and Technology Priorities", as in the 2023 strategy document's Appendix A heading; the ADD figure has "Advanced" (Why Moon to Mars). A banner beneath: "Crewed exploration of the Moon and Mars will strengthen these three pillars, leading to a new era of science and discovery. The Moon to Mars Objectives define NASA's ambitions; the Moon to Mars Architecture shows how to realize them."
- Key terms (PDF p. 3). The text layer splits the "Segment" definition around a photo caption. The rendered page reads: "A portion of the architecture that integrates sub-architectures and progressively increases in complexity and objective satisfaction." All seven terms are compared with the 2024 overview and Rev C on the 2024 overview's source page.
- Figure 2 (PDF p. 4), "Illustration of NASA's evolutionary architecture decomposition process." It is the figure ADD Rev C prints on p. 16 (Objective decomposition), with the same boxes and box texts: "Agency Level" "Objectives & Goals"; the "Strategy and Architecture Office (SAO)" "Architecture" box with "Characteristics & Needs", "Use Cases" (labeled "Segments") and "Functions" (labeled "Sub-architectures"); "Program Level" "Design Reference Missions / ConOps" and "Elements / Requirements". The heading "Moon to Mars Objectives" sits above the right-hand box. The comparison is the wiki's, at page resolution.
- Figure 3 (PDF p. 5), "Example decomposition of two characteristics and needs into their associated use cases and functions." A goal box headed "Objectives & Goals" and "Transportation & Habitation" holds one objective. To its left is a column of "Characteristics & Needs" boxes with CN identifiers, and two "Use Cases" and "Functions" columns branch from two of them. The identifiers and box texts are too small to read reliably at page resolution, so the wiki doesn't transcribe them.
- The white-paper cards (PDF pp. 8–9). A note-pad icon is keyed "White Papers written in response to suggestions at 2023 Moon to Mars Architecture workshops". It marks five cards: "Safe and Precise Landing at Lunar Sites", "Analytical Capabilities In-situ vs. Returned", "Human Health and Performance For Mars Missions", "Round Trip Mars Mission Mass Challenges" and "Exploration Lessons Learned from the Space Station".
- Figure 4 (PDF p. 11), "Illustration of the annual cadence of the Architecture Concept Review process." Transcribed on Architecture definition process.
The goals in one line each (PDF p. 5)¶
"NASA's Moon to Mars Objectives seek to expand humanity's frontiers in space science and exploration. The objectives fall into the overarching goals below". These are plain-language lines, not NASA's goal statements, which are on Objectives. As printed, in the page's order:
| Goal, as printed | One line (2023) |
|---|---|
| Lunar and Planetary Science | "Answer questions about the formation of our solar system, the geology and chemistry of planetary bodies, and the origins of life." |
| Heliophysics | "Advance our study of the Sun and our ability to observe, model, and predict space weather." |
| Human and Biological Science | "Grow our understanding of how the lunar, Martian, and deep space environments affect living things." |
| Physics and Physical Sciences | "Investigate space, time, and matter in the unique environments of the Moon, Mars, and deep space." |
| Science Enabling | "Develop integrated human and robotic techniques that address high-priority scientific questions around and on the Moon and Mars." |
| Applied Science | "Conduct science utilizing integrated human and robotic techniques to inform the design of exploration systems." |
| Lunar Infrastructure | "Create an framework for government, industry, academia, and international partners to participate in a robust lunar economy and facilitate science." ("an framework" as printed) |
| Mars Infrastructure | "Develop the power, communications, navigation, and resource utilization capabilities to support initial human Mars exploration." |
| Transportation and Habitation | "Create the systems necessary for humans to travel to the Moon and Mars, live and work there, and return to Earth safely." |
| Operations | "Conduct crewed missions to gradually build technologies and capabilities to live and work on planetary surfaces other than Earth." |
The 2024 overview's versions, three of them reworded, are on its source page.
The 2023 white papers (PDF pp. 8–9)¶
"In January 2024, alongside the release of an update to the Architecture Definition Document, NASA
published 13 new white papers on select Moon to Mars Architecture topics as part of the annual
Architecture Concept Review cycle. Experts from across the agency authored the papers; some topics
arose from suggestions at workshops for industry, academia, and international space agencies" (PDF p.
9). The overview gives each a card. One of the 13 is among the wiki's sources: "Lunar Site Selection", in a
file listed with the February 2024 workshop briefings
(source page); the other twelve
aren't (checked by title against sources/manifest.csv). Several are cited by later papers
(open question 30).
| Card title, as printed | Page | Workshop icon | Cited by a source the wiki holds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface Extravehicular Activity Architectural Drivers | 8 | "Why Moon and Mars?" (as "Surface EVA Architectural Drivers") | |
| Lunar Communications and Navigation Architecture | 8 | ACR25 C&PNT paper | |
| Lunar Site Selection | 8 | ACR24 mobility paper | |
| Safe and Precise Landing at Lunar Sites | 8 | yes | |
| Lunar Logistics Drivers and Needs | 8 | ACR24 mobility paper | |
| Analytical Capabilities In-situ vs. Returned | 8 | yes | |
| Mars Mission Abort Considerations | 9 | "Why Moon and Mars?" | |
| Mars Communications Disruption and Delay | 9 | "Why Moon and Mars?"; ACR25 C&PNT paper; ACR24 crew-complement paper | |
| Mars Surface Power Generation | 9 | ACR24 Mars power paper (as "Mars Surface Power Generation Challenges and Considerations"), which "updates" it | |
| Key Mars Architecture Decisions | 9 | ACR25 "Architecture Definition" (which supersedes it); ACR24 crew-complement paper | |
| Human Health and Performance For Mars Missions | 9 | yes | "Why Moon and Mars?" (as "Human Health and Performance"); ACR24 crew-complement paper (as "Human Health and Performance: Keeping Astronauts Safe & Productive On a Mission to Mars") |
| Round Trip Mars Mission Mass Challenges | 9 | yes | "Why Moon and Mars?" |
| Exploration Lessons Learned from the Space Station | 9 | yes | ACR24 humans-in-space paper |
The last column comes from the reference lists recorded on those papers' source pages and in open question 30. Two cards, in the overview's words:
- Key Mars Architecture Decisions: "NASA has developed analysis tools to better understand the relationships between the many decisions it will need to make to begin planning initial crewed missions to Mars. Using these tools, seven key Mars architecture decisions have been identified. They are not the only questions to answer, but their answers will affect the many decisions that follow" (PDF p. 9). See Key definition tasks.
- Mars Surface Power Generation: "The Martian environment poses unique challenges for generating power and power requirements will vary significantly based on mission profile" (PDF p. 9). The 2024 paper "Mars Surface Power Technology Decision" says it "updates a white paper from the 2023 Architecture Concept Review, 'Mars Surface Power Generation Challenges and Considerations'" (its p. 1). That is a longer title than the card's.
What the overview says¶
- What the architecture is and isn't. "In this case, architecture is not limited to the built environment. It isn't a mission, a manifest, or a set of requirements. Instead, NASA's Moon to Mars Architecture defines the systems needed for long-term, human-led scientific discovery in deep space and the relationships between them" (PDF p. 3).
- Who does it. "In collaboration with other NASA mission directorates — Space Operations, Science, Space Technology, and Aeronautics Research—NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate establishes systems for Moon to Mars exploration. Within the mission directorate, NASA's Strategy and Architecture Office leads definition, documentation, and disposition of the overarching Moon to Mars architecture in consultation with stakeholders" (PDF p. 3).
- Architecting from the right "identifies technology and capability gaps that NASA must address to achieve the Moon to Mars Objectives" (PDF p. 3). The pencil example is on Objective decomposition.
- The 2023 review. A photo caption: "Architecture Concept Review attendees listen to welcome remarks from NASA leadership on Nov. 14, 2023, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Attendees included representatives from all of NASA's centers, leaders from all of NASA's mission directorates, various technical authorities, and other stakeholders across the agency" (PDF p. 3).
- Elements. "In the first edition of the Architecture Definition Document, NASA established nine elements for the Human Lunar Return segment. In 2023, NASA added six new elements to the segment" (PDF p. 10). It doesn't list the first nine. The six, and element initiation, are on Elements.
- Forward work for the 2024 cycle, and the cadence figure: on Architecture definition process.
What changed by Rev C¶
These comparisons are the wiki's.
- The six 2023 elements are Foundational Exploration elements in Rev C. The overview adds them "to the segment" whose nine elements it has just named, Human Lunar Return (PDF p. 10). Rev C maps the Human-Class Delivery Lander, the Lunar Terrain Vehicle and the Pressurized Rover to Foundational Exploration only, and puts the three Gateway components in the "Gateway Expanded Capability Configuration", which it ties to that segment (pp. 26, 31–32, 53). The wiki follows Rev C (open question 33).
- Element initiation is now one step of Section 3.4. Rev C's pre-formulation method keeps "element initiation reviews" and adds Mission Concept Reviews before an element enters the ADD (p. 82; Elements).
- Gateway's components were renamed. "Gateway Extravehicular Robotic System", "Gateway ESPIRIT Refueling Module" and "Gateway Airlock Module" here; "Gateway External Robotic System", "Lunar View" and "Crew and Science Airlock" in Rev C (pp. 53–54; Gateway).
- One sub-architecture name. "Communications, Navigation, Positioning, and Timing Systems" here; "Communications and Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Systems" in Rev C (p. 40).
- The segment text survives, minus one line. Rev C keeps the four segments. Its text doesn't have the overview's "land the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface" (search of the text; Segments).
- The annual cadence held. Revision B came out after the fall 2024 review, as forecast (12/13/2024, ADD Rev C p. 3), with white papers (Architecture definition process).
Oddities¶
As printed, PDF checked:
- Contents numbers. The contents page (PDF p. 2) lists "6 architecture segments", "7 sub-architectures", "8 architecture elements" and "9 white papers". The pages themselves are printed 5, 6, 9 and 7–8. The contents also put elements before white papers, the reverse of the document's order. "1", "2", "4" and "10" match.
- "Create an framework" in the Lunar Infrastructure line (PDF p. 5).
- "Gateway ESPIRIT Refueling Module" (PDF p. 10). ADD Rev C spells the old name "ESPRIT" (p. 53).
- "Aeronautics Research—NASA's", with no space before the dash (PDF p. 3).
- "Architectural Concept Review" once (PDF p. 3), "Architecture Concept Review" elsewhere.
Related pages¶
2024 executive overview · Architecture definition process · Elements · Sub-architectures · Segments · Key definition tasks · Objective decomposition · Why Moon to Mars · ADD Rev C