Lunar Objective Mapping Tables, 2024 (ACR24 lunar architecture table)¶
Document: an Excel workbook that NASA lists as "Lunar Objective Mapping Tables" under "2024 Architecture Concept Review", beside ADD Revision B and the 2024 Executive Overview. The page describes it as "This spreadsheet includes the lunar objective decomposition and is provided for ease of importing into relevant systems or databases" (Architecture Definition Documents page, section "2024 Architecture Concept Review"). Its cover sheet reads:
"NASA is providing this Objectives Mapping file in Excel format to accommodate data import and integration for current and future partners interested in contributing to the Moon to Mars Architecture. The data in this file is sourced directly from the 2024 Moon to Mars Architecture Definition Document (ADD). The authoritative source for this information is Appendix A in the ADD, that will always reside at www.nasa.gov/MoonToMarsArchitecture."
and, at the foot, "PUBLISHED: October 2024" (cover sheet). The file name carries a later date,
acr24-lat-final-20241202, and the upload path is /2024/12/.
Files: text sources/text/docs/2024-12-acr24-lat-final-20241202/ (one CSV per sheet); raw
sources/raw/docs/2024-12-acr24-lat-final-20241202.xlsx (fetched 2026-10-01T07:22:46Z from
https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/acr24-lat-final-20241202.xlsx, 14 sheets, per
sources/manifest.csv). The workbook itself was not opened; everything below is read from the
extracted CSVs.
Summary. The 2024 (Revision B era) version of the lunar decomposition. It is the only lunar source the wiki holds that has all four layers: 53 objectives → 133 characteristics and needs (C&Ns) → 162 use cases → 206 functions, plus an allocation of the functions to assets for "HLR" and "FE". The C&N layer is the one the December 2025 workbook lists in its key but doesn't contain (open question 42). Everything here is 2024 context: where it differs from the 2025 lunar decomposition, this page says what changed.
The wiki writes it up on:
- Lunar characteristics and needs: all 133 C&Ns, with the objectives each serves and the use cases under each
- Lunar function allocation: the 2024 allocation against the 2025 one and ADD Rev C's Appendix B.3 to B.5
How to cite¶
The workbook has no "Index of Worksheets" (its key starts straight with the letters), so the wiki
cites by the CSV file name of the extraction and a row ID, e.g.
([2024 lunar table, c-ns-to-objectives.csv, CN-T-108 L](../sources/2024-12-acr24-lat-final-20241202.md)).
The CSV names were made by the extraction from the sheet names; they are not the workbook's own
labels.
The sheets¶
| CSV file | What it holds | Data rows |
|---|---|---|
cover.csv |
NASA's note (quoted above) and "PUBLISHED: October 2024" | |
readme.csv |
Working notes headed "To export": "use this template on the ""objectives"" package", replace "fake blanks", sort, then "remerge" with a pivot table, with links to a Reddit thread and a Microsoft forum post | |
key.csv |
The 12 decomposition letters and their named groups (below) | |
obj-list.csv |
Objective codes and wording, no header | 53 |
c-ns.csv |
"C&N ID" and "Characteristics/Needs" | 133 |
c-ns-to-objectives.csv |
Objective, with the C&Ns under it | 240 |
use-cases-to-c-ns.csv |
C&N, with the use cases under it | 282 |
use-cases.csv |
"UC ID" and "Use Cases" | 162 |
functions-to-use-cases.csv |
Use case, with the functions under it | 677 |
functions.csv |
"FN ID" and "Functions" | 206 |
asset-function-matrix.csv |
Function × asset matrix, X marks, HLR and FE columns side by side | 206 |
asset-function-table.csv |
The same allocation, listed by asset | 510 |
full-decomp-split.csv |
The whole chain, function → use case → C&N → objective, every cell filled | 2,650 |
full-decomp-merged.csv |
The same chain, with repeated cells left empty; 53 objective codes | 2,650 |
Row counts exclude header rows; they are the wiki's counts of the CSV lines, and the counts of IDs
were checked by search (133 C&N rows, 162 use-case rows, 206 function rows, 53 objective codes in
c-ns-to-objectives.csv and in the merged sheet). Unlike the 2025 workbook, the split and merged full
sheets have the same number of rows; the wiki didn't compare them further.
Columns and conventions¶
- Columns. "Objectives"/"OBJ ID", "Characteristics/Needs"/"C&N ID", "Use Cases"/"UC ID", "Functions"/"FN ID". In the mapping sheets and the merged sheet, a parent's cells are filled on its first row only, as in the 2025 workbook.
- "BLANK". Where a C&N has no use case, the use-case cells read "BLANK": 17 C&Ns, plus one row
with "BLANK" and no C&N (
use-cases-to-c-ns.csv). Where a use case has no function, the function cells read "BLANK": 17 use cases, plus six rows with "BLANK" and no use case (functions-to-use-cases.csv). The 17 function-less use cases are the same 17 as in the 2025 FE+ sheet. - C&N IDs follow the use-case pattern:
CN-T-108 Lis letter, number, suffix. 122 end in L and 11 in LM (CN-T-402, X-101, X-201, M-101, A-101, A-401, A-402, I-102, I-103, U-601, U-602). The C&N numbers are their own: CN-T-108 L is not UC-T-108 L or FN-T-108 L. - Asset IDs. The allocation sheets give each asset an ID, EM-001 to EM-018, with "-HLR" or "-FE" after it (EM-001-HLR: Space Launch System). There is no EM-011. Neither the 2025 workbook nor ADD Rev C uses these IDs (searched).
- "HLR" and "FE". The asset columns are labeled "HLR" and "FE", not "FE+" as in 2025; the string "FE+" doesn't occur in this workbook (searched). This is the label as printed. The wiki still doesn't equate either label with a segment (2025 source page).
- "FORWARD WORK". Both allocation sheets open with "ASSET MAPPING TO SCIENCE/RESEARCH PAYLOADS AND TECH DEMOS IS FORWARD WORK". The four payload and tech-demo columns ("HLR: Science/Research Payloads", "FE: Tech Demos" and so on) carry "FORWARD WORK" and "FWD WRK" in place of functions. The 2025 sheets' first row reads only "FORWARD WORK"; it may be the same label shortened, but the 2025 file doesn't say so (open question 42).
The key¶
The key is the 2025 lunar key: the same 12 letters numbered 1 (Transportation, T) to 12 (Utilization, U), the same "FOR REFERENCE ONLY" cell, and the same named groups by hundreds, typos included ("Logisitcs Transfer", "Cargo Repositioining"). The comparison is the wiki's, line by line; the table is on the 2025 source page. The 2024 key has no index of worksheets.
What changed by December 2025¶
Compared with the 2025 lunar decomposition (the wiki's comparison, list against list).
Structure.
- 2024 has one decomposition with a C&N layer, and splits only the allocation into HLR and FE.
- 2025 has two decompositions without C&Ns, "HLR" (39 objectives, 44 use cases, 58 functions) and "FE+" (52, 163, 208), each with its own allocation. Its key still lists the C&N sheets.
- The 2025 objective–use case links read like the 2024 links with the C&N layer taken out. For ten objectives checked, the 2025 use cases are exactly the union of the use cases under the objective's 2024 C&Ns: lunar AS-03, HBS-01 (by count, 29), LI-06, OP-09, SE-04 and TH-02; Mars MI-03, OP-09, OP-10 and TH-07 (Mars table). The wiki didn't check the rest, and no source says the 2025 links were made this way.
Objectives: 53 against 52. The 2024 list has AS-02 LM, which the 2025 lunar sheet leaves out. In 2024 AS-02 LM has one C&N, CN-U-801 L ("Coordinate delivery and deployment of utilization payloads in cislunar space and on the lunar surface to address associated science objectives"), and that C&N's use case reads "BLANK". So AS-02 LM had no lunar use case in 2024 either. OP-10 LM is the same case: its one C&N, CN-A-301 L, has a "BLANK" use case, and the 2025 FE+ sheet keeps OP-10 LM with "BLANK" (Lunar characteristics and needs). The shared objectives' wording was spot-checked, not compared in full: the closing words of five long objectives (OP-01, OP-12, LI-01, HBS-02, SE-03) were searched for in the 2025 sheet, and all five are there.
Use cases: 162 against 163. 2025 adds UC-G-101 L, "Ground support on Earth for the launch of large nuclear assets" (with FN-G-106 L and FN-G-107 L under it). No 2024 use case is dropped. Titles that changed:
| Use case | 2024 | December 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| UC-T-203 L | "… from cislunar space back to Earth" | "… from cislunar space to Earth" |
| UC-T-501 L | "… edge-case analyses of flight systems" | "… edge-case analyses of in-space systems" |
| UC-H-103 L | "… for moderate-duration (month+) mission(s) in cislunar space" | "… for mid-duration (month+) …" |
| UC-H-104 L | "… for extended-duration (year+) mission(s) in cislunar space" | "… for long-duration (year+) …" |
| UC-X-103 L | "… for moderate durations (month+) on the lunar surface" | "… for mid-durations (month+) …" |
| UC-X-104 L | "… for moderate (month+) to long (year+) durations in cislunar space" | "… for mid- (month+) to long-durations (year+) …" |
| UC-C-206 L | "… at the far side on the lunar surface" | "… at the far side of the lunar surface" |
| UC-U-503 L, UC-U-504 L | "… propellant storage for extended-duration (year+) …" | "… for long-durations (year+) …" |
| UC-U-723 L | "… bioregenerative oxygen and water recovery …" | "… bio-regenerative …" |
Spelling only: "non- PSRs" becomes "non-PSRs" (UC-A-104 L), "sub-surface" becomes "subsurface" (UC-U-301 L to UC-U-308 L), and "long term" becomes "long-term" (UC-U-710 L, UC-U-715 L to UC-U-718 L).
Functions: 206 against 208. 2025 adds FN-G-106 L, "Provide ground services on Earth to support large nuclear assets", and FN-G-107 L, "Enable vehicle launch(es) to support large nuclear assets". No 2024 function is dropped. Titles that changed:
| Function | 2024 | December 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| FN-T-206 L | "Transport large exploration asset(s) from Earth to the lunar surface" | "Transport large asset(s) …" |
| FN-H-102 L | "… for moderate duration (month+) use" | "… for mid-duration (month+) use" |
| FN-H-104 L | "… in cislunar space for moderate (month+) durations" | "… for mid-durations (month+)" |
| FN-H-105 L | "… in cislunar space for extended (year+) duration" | "… for long-durations (year+)" |
| FN-X-103 L | "… for moderate durations (month+) on the lunar surface" | "… for mid-durations (month+) …" |
| FN-X-104 L | "… for moderate (month+) to long (year+) durations in cislunar space" | "… for mid-(month+) to long-durations (year+) …" |
| FN-L-101 L | "Mating between pressurized assets on the lunar surface" | "Provide mating between …" |
| FN-P-402 L | "… for long durations (months to years+)" | "… for mid- (month+) to long-durations (year+)" |
| FN-M-103 L | "Enable crew surface extravehicular activities at the lunar far side region" | "Enable crew lunar surface …" |
| FN-M-403 L | "Unload large exploration assets on the lunar surface" | "Unload large assets …" |
| FN-M-601 L | "Relocation of exploration assets at lunar surface polar locations" | "Relocate exploration assets at the south pole region of the lunar surface" |
| FN-M-602 L | "Relocation of exploration assets at distributed locations …" | "Relocate exploration assets …" |
| FN-A-402 L | "Command and control of asset(s) from Earth …" | "Command and control asset(s) …" |
| FN-I-101 L | "Collect water/ice from the polar region …" | "… from the south pole region …" |
| FN-I-207 L | "Conduct additive/subtractive manufacturing …" | "Conduct regolith-based additive/subtractive manufacturing …" |
Spelling only: "sub-surface" becomes "subsurface" (FN-U-301 L to FN-U-306 L). The 2025 sheet's "maintaing", in eight stowage titles, is not in this workbook, which prints "maintaining" throughout (searched).
What the wording changes show (the wiki's reading):
- Durations. "Moderate" becomes "mid" and "extended" becomes "long", in seven use cases and six functions. "Mid-durations (month+)" was already in 2024 (UC-H-102 L), so 2025 makes the lists consistent with it. Neither the ADD's glossary nor its quantity descriptors define the duration words (Glossary).
- "Large exploration asset(s)" becomes "large asset(s)" in FN-T-206 L and FN-M-403 L. ADD Rev C's quantity descriptors still say "Large Exploration Assets" (p. 304).
- FN-I-207 L. The 2024 workbook has the short title everywhere. In 2025 the long title is in the lists and the short one survives in the FE+ asset table's Unallocated block and in ADD B.5 (p. 172) (2025 source page).
Function–use case pairs. Not compared pair by pair. At the points checked (rows 128–137, 400–406 and the closing rows) the 2024 and 2025 FE+ "Functions to Use Cases" sheets list the same pairs, offset by the two rows UC-G-101 L adds. UC-T-103 L already has FN-T-106 L, FN-T-217 L and FN-C-103 L, not FN-T-103 L. The ADD's revision history dates the removal of FN-T-103 L from UC-T-103 L to Revision B.1, 04/04/2025 (ADD Rev C, pp. 3–4), later than this workbook's file date (open question 69). The FN-C-103 L pairing, which the 2025 sheet doesn't explain, is already here.
Allocation. The 2024 allocation has fewer assets (no Lunar Utility Rover, Lunar Nuclear Fission System or Communication/PNT Asset), 81 FE Unallocated functions against 76, and an HLR allocation over all 206 functions rather than 58. Details, and what they show for the ADD's own tables, are on Lunar function allocation.
Oddities¶
Recorded as printed; none is corrected.
- "Appendix A in the ADD." The cover calls Appendix A "the authoritative source". In ADD Rev C the decomposition tables are Appendix B and Appendix A is the rationale (ADD Rev C source page). Revision B is not among the sources, so the wiki can't check which appendix held the tables in 2024.
- Dates. "PUBLISHED: October 2024" on the cover; "20241202" in the file name; the Mars table's file name says "20241031" (open question 69).
- The readme is a set of internal export steps, not a guide to the data.
- A duplicate row. The FE "Unallocated" block of the asset table lists FN-D-203 L twice (82 rows, 81 functions).
- Asset names are the 2025 workbook's, not all ADD element names: "Gateway Expanded Capability", "Human-Class Delivery System", "Initial Surface Habitation", "CLPS Provider Landers", "Lunar Communications Relay and Navigation System" and "NSN/DSN".
Related pages¶
Lunar characteristics and needs · Lunar function allocation · Lunar objectives · Objective decomposition · Lunar use cases · Lunar functions · 2025 lunar decomposition · 2024 Mars table · ADD Rev C · 2024 Executive Overview