February 2025 workshop: Architecture Updates (international partners deck)¶
Document: iparch01-architecture-updates.pdf, 19 slides, 12,021,785 bytes, from
https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/, fetched 2026-10-01T18:28:07Z (sources/manifest.csv).
The title slide reads "2025 Moon to Mars Architecture Workshops", "February 2025", with the presenter
"Nujoud Merancy, Deputy Associate Administrator, Strategy and Architecture, NASA – ESDMD - SAO" (slide 1).
Every slide's footer reads "February 2025" and "Moon to Mars Architecture Workshops". It opens NASA's set for
the international partners' workshop, listed on the
Architecture Workshops page under "February 2025 | … for
International Partners". Text: sources/text/docs/2025-02-iparch01-architecture-updates.txt; images in
sources/raw/slides/2025-02-iparch01-architecture-updates/.
The copy. The industry and academia workshop's deck is a near-copy with 17 slides (82% of its text in this
one, per sources/workshops-screening.md). It has a short page of its own:
Architecture Updates, industry and academia deck.
Rank and method. A briefing, not the architecture of record (SCHEMA, "Workshop slides"). It is older than ADD Rev C: it came two months after Revision B (released 12/13/2024) and ten months before Rev C (ADD Rev C, p. 3). So it is context, like the 2024 executive overview, whose text it shares in part (56%, per the screening table), and its content goes in "In the February 2025 workshop briefing" sections, not under "Changes since Rev C". All 19 slides were read in the text layer. The images of slides 1, 4, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17 and 18 were viewed (slide 1 is text-poor; the others carry figures, tables or thumbnails). The text layer has no "Moon Base", "CUI" or "Pre-Decisional" (searched); the deck predates the Moon Base.
Summary. What the 2024 review (ACR24) produced, told to partners: Revision B of the ADD with 50+ new pages, two new appendices and two new elements; a reworked objective decomposition; the first technology gap list (56 gaps); five more priority Mars decisions and the first one made (fission for Mars surface power); twelve white papers. Two things are in no other source: the Initial Surface Habitat "up to 4 surface crew" (slide 12; Rev C says two crew) and the Lunar Surface Cargo Lander's "payload capacity on the order of 2 tons" (slide 13; Rev C gives none). The deck also briefs the NextSTEP-2 "Appendix R: Lunar Logistics and Mobility Studies" solicitation, with its dates, and names Rev B's appendices by letter.
Slides¶
| Slide | Title (as printed) | Content |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "2025 Moon to Mars Architecture Workshops" | Title, presenter (above) |
| 2 | "Welcome!" | "Welcome to the 2025 Moon to Mars Architecture workshops for International Partners"; "Feedback continues to inform the evolution of the architecture"; participants "…over 70 registrants", "…representing over 20 space agencies", "…emerging and established agencies" |
| 3 | "Moon to Mars Architecture" | "Beginning in 2022, NASA reset the strategic effort to enable human exploration of deep-space"; the three pillars; "Objectives based architecting", "Enable flexibility and resilience", "Rooted in systems engineering fundamentals"; "All of Agency, All of Stakeholders": "Coordinated and collaborative", "Enhanced communication", "Commitment to transparency"; a link to the 2023 strategy document |
| 4 | "Architecting from the Right" | Three columns, read from the image: "Programs & Projects" (Orion, Human Landing System, Deep Space Network, Exploration EVA Systems, Lunar Terrain Vehicle, "etc …") ← "Architecture" (a definition, "Use Cases", "Functions" and the Rev B cover) ← "Moon to Mars Objectives" (four categories: Science, Infrastructure, Transportation and Habitation, Operations). Banner: "Rigorous systems engineering applied to identify the needs, understand relationships and identify gaps between systems to identify most effective and efficient solutions toward achieving long-term vision." |
| 5 | "Architecture Segments" | The four segments and Future Segments with one line each, and the overviews' definition of "Segment" (Segments) |
| 6 | "NASA's Moon to Mars Architecture" | "An Evolutionary Architecture Process" figure |
| 7 | "Architecture Products" | Covers of ADD "ESDMD-001 Revision B", the executive overview and two white papers; "NASA documents its roadmap for deep space exploration in the Architecture Definition Document. The agency updates the document yearly and publishes it alongside other public-facing products including white papers on relevant topics and an executive overview of the architecture."; "Revision B Published December 13" |
| 8 | "2024 Feedback Key Takeaways" | What the 2024 workshops asked for |
| 9 | "Architecture Concept Review 2024 (ACR24)" | What ACR24 concurred on |
| 10 | "ADD Rev B Updates" | Rev B's new content and definitions |
| 11 | "Decomposition Updates" | Changes to the decomposition |
| 12 | "New Element: Initial Surface Habitat" | The habitat, "Architecture Elements Approved at ACR24" |
| 13 | "New Element: Lunar Surface Cargo Lander" | The cargo lander, "Architecture Elements Approved at ACR24" |
| 14 | "NEW ADD APPENDIX" / "Architecture-Driven Technology Gaps" | Rev B's Appendix C |
| 15 | "Key Moon to Mars Architecture Decisions" | Rev B's Appendix B |
| 16 | "Mars Decisions: New Priority Decisions" | The 2024 overview's "Priority Decisions" chart, and the first Mars decision (below) |
| 17 | "2024 White Papers" | Twelve titles, with thumbnails |
| 18 | "Logistics and Mobility: Request for Proposals" | NextSTEP-2 Appendix R |
| 19 | "What's Different this Year?" | "We want to hear from YOU!"; "We've retooled the workshops to promote more engagement and interaction between all present"; "We've added non-NASA panelists to broaden the perspectives highlighted in discussions"; "We're focused on finding avenues to collaborate that close architecture and technology gaps" |
The process figure (slide 6)¶
"An Evolutionary Architecture Process: Formulating an Exploration Strategy Based on Objectives". Read from the image: a chain of arrows from "OBJECTIVE DECOMPOSITION / ARCHITECTURE DEFINITION DOCUMENT" through three "ARCHITECTURE CONCEPT REVIEW" stages, each followed by "ARCHITECTURE STUDIES", "ELEMENT DEFINITION" and "ARCHITECTURE REFINEMENT", toward a Moon–Mars globe labeled "Moon to Mars Objectives". An "OBJECTIVE DECOMPOSITION" arrow runs back from the objectives to the start, and "ANNUAL CYCLE" arrows join the reviews. Under the reviews are document covers (the 2023 strategy document and two ADD covers). Three boxes below:
- "TRACEABILITY: Decomposition of Blueprint Objectives to executing Architecture elements"
- "ARCHITECTURE FRAMEWORK: Organizational construct to ensure system/element relationships are understood and gaps can be identified"
- "PROCESS & PRODUCTS: Clear communication and review integration paths for stakeholders"
"Blueprint" is not expanded here, as in the January 2026 deck (data gaps index). The annual cycle is on Architecture definition process.
What the 2024 workshops asked for (slide 8)¶
"2024 Feedback Key Takeaways", in two columns:
| Industry and Academia Workshop | International Partner Workshop |
|---|---|
| "Communication has improved." | "Building community is integral to success." |
| "Stakeholders appreciated transparency regarding decisions and decision-making." | "Partners want to engage their own domestic stakeholders and build support for space." |
| "Industry desires more clarity on the agency's investment priorities." | "Emerging space agencies desire more clarity on where they can engage in the architecture." |
| "Industry and academia would appreciate being involved earlier in the gap definition process." | "Partners desire clear paths through preformulation to element initiation." |
| "Enable more discussion opportunities at workshop." |
"We've tailored our architecture products to meet desires expressed at last year's workshops." Slide 19's "What's Different this Year?" is the answer for the workshops themselves. Compare what the January 2026 deck says the workshops changed (Architecture definition process).
ACR24 and Revision B (slides 9–11)¶
What ACR24 concurred on (slide 9). "At ACR24, agency leaders representing each of NASA's mission directorates, centers, and technical authorities provided concurrence on architecture updates":
- "Revision B of NASA's Architecture Definition Document (ADD)"
- "Two new Moon to Mars Architecture elements"
- "Architecture-driven technology gaps definition and prioritization"
- "Initial Mars surface power technology decision"
- "Prioritization of 5 additional Mars architecture decisions"
- "12 white papers"
"NASA published ACR24 products on December 13. This includes revision B of the ADD, the 12 white papers, and an executive overview of the architecture."
Rev B's new content (slide 10). "ADD Revision B updates add 50+ pages of new content including the two new appendices and the two new exploration elements". The revision "reflects a refined and updated objective decomposition that seeks to improve clarity and embrace lessons learned". "Updated Definitions (Appendix D) reflected in the Objective Decomposition":
- "Refined definition of utilization payload to include equipment"
- "Included an all-encompassing term of 'Exploration Asset'"
- "Better defined the delineation between large and small cargo"
- "Included call out to samples in addition to commodities and logistics items"
Decomposition updates (slide 11), as printed:
- Characteristics and Needs: "Updated for better accuracy, clarity, and consistency"; "Implemented new numbering schema for better organization"; "Rewrote for science objectives to improve clarity and consistency"; "Utilized model-based systems engineering (MBSE) environment"
- Lunar Use Cases and Functions: "Refined to better align syntax and remove overlapping or redundant functions"; "Added 'bucketing' or classes of capabilities to better align assets with functions"; "Updates reflect two years of lessons learned and stakeholder feedback"
- Mars Use Cases and Functions: "Added for the Transportation & Habitation, Mars Infrastructure, and Operations Objectives"; "Followed similar syntax and nomenclature of lunar objective decomposition"
- Asset Mapping Tables: "Split utilization payloads into equipment, science/research payloads, and technology demonstrations"; "Clarified interpretation of asset mappings as a contribution to the architecture by an asset"
These match the 2024 mapping tables the wiki holds: the Mars use cases then covered only those three goals, and science objectives were "NOT YET … DECOMPOSED" (Mars characteristics and needs); Rev C added Mars use cases for the four science goals (ADD Rev C, p. 4). The comparison is the wiki's.
The two new elements (slides 12–13)¶
Both slides are headed "Architecture Elements Approved at ACR24", with a rendering, one line on the element and a table "Primary Functions Met by Element" (read from the images).
Initial Surface Habitat (slide 12): "Enables expanded exploration capabilities up to 4 surface crew, establishes opportunities for Mars-forward precursor missions, and increased exploration capabilities and science during missions". Four functions, then "+15 additional functions.": FN-H-101 L, FN-H-201 L, FN-P-402 L and a fourth labeled "FN-U-201 L" with the title "Provide intravehicular activity facilities, utilization accommodation, and resources, operable during crewed and uncrewed increments on the lunar surface". That title is FN-U-204 L's; FN-U-201 L is "Provide locations to host utilization payload(s) and/or equipment in deep space" (Lunar functions). The 2024 overview prints FN-U-204 L in the same box, so the wiki reads the label as a slip. The four are the 2024 overview's four. The crew figure is in no other source; see Initial Surface Habitat.
Lunar Surface Cargo Lander (slide 13): "Dedicated cargo lander to deliver logistics, utilization, small exploration assets, and other cargo to the Moon; payload capacity on the order of 2 tons". Its four functions are the 2024 overview's: FN-T-202 L, FN-T-204 L, FN-T-402 L, FN-T-403 L. The capacity is in no other source ("tons" as printed, unqualified); see Lunar Surface Cargo Lander and open question 86.
Rev B's appendices (slides 10–16)¶
The deck names three of Rev B's appendices by letter:
| Rev B (this deck) | Subject | Rev C's appendix (the wiki's matching, by subject) |
|---|---|---|
| Appendix B (slide 15) | "Key Moon to Mars Architecture Decisions" | Appendix C, "Architecture Definition", after "architecture decisions" was renamed "architecture definition" (ADD Rev C, pp. 4, 186) |
| Appendix C (slide 14) | "Architecture-Driven Technology Gaps" | Appendix D (p. 199) |
| Appendix D (slide 10) | "Updated Definitions" | Appendix F, "Terminology" (p. 291) |
Rev B is not among the sources, so the table rests on the deck. Its two "new appendices" (slide 10) are, by the slides, the decisions and the gaps.
- Technology gaps (slide 14, "NEW ADD APPENDIX"). The bullets repeat the 2024 gaps paper ("With a broad array of needs competing for technology development resources …"); the list "is included in Appendix C of Revision B … and will be updated annually". A box: "Architecture gaps are… …capability areas to enable the architecture (i.e., technologies that need to be matured or invented) …solution-agnostic …published as one-pagers in ADD rev-B (56 total gaps currently) …prioritized based on four criteria …updated as existing gaps are closed and new gaps are identified". Here "architecture gaps" means the technology gaps, not the 2024 partnerships paper's "use cases and functions that do not currently trace to an element" (RT-1). The 56 is Rev B's count (Gaps index).
- Decisions (slide 15): "NASA has applied rigorous systems engineering principles in laying out an architecture decision roadmap that clearly identifies a logical order in which decisions may be made based on their precedence relationships", documented in Appendix B and updated "yearly as new decisions are identified or made".
- New priority decisions (slide 16): "As part of the 2024 Architecture Concept Review, NASA added five additional decisions to its initial list of seven priority Mars decisions. Additionally, NASA made it's first Mars decision, selecting nuclear fission and the primary surface power generation technology for initial crewed missions to Mars" (as printed). The chart beside it is the 2024 overview's "Priority Decisions" chart (twelve hexagons split "ACR23 | ACR24", a check mark on "Mars Surface Power Generation Tech", the Why/Where/When/What/Who/How key, "Color key based on Systems Analysis of Architecture Drivers (2022)"), read from the image and matched to the overview's by the wiki (Key definition tasks).
The 2024 white papers (slide 17)¶
Twelve numbered titles beside thumbnails of the papers' first pages and "All products are hosted on the architecture website." Three titles differ from the papers' own (the wiki's comparison):
| Slide 17 | The paper's title |
|---|---|
| "Humans in Space to Accomplish Certain Objectives" | "Humans in Space to Accomplish Science Objectives" (source page) |
| "Artemis Accomplishing Decadal Recommendations" | "Priority Science Objectives Enabled through NASA's Moon to Mars Architecture" (source page) |
| "International Partnerships: Policies, Opportunities, & Engagement" | "International Partnerships" in the overview's list (source page) |
The others match: Mars EDL Challenges, Responsible Exploration, Mars Surface Power Tech Decision, Mars Crew Complement Considerations, Mars Ascent Propellant Considerations, Lunar Mobility Drivers and Needs, Lunar Surface Cargo, Lunar Reference Frame, Architecture-Driven Technology Gaps. All twelve are among the wiki's sources (2024 overview).
Warning: the text layer of slides 7 and 17 is the papers' text. As on PDF p. 8 of the 2024 overview, the thumbnails carry their full text in the text layer (about 830 lines of the file for slide 17), unreadable on the rendered slide. The wiki cites none of it to this deck.
Logistics and Mobility: NextSTEP-2 Appendix R (slide 18)¶
"To advance its lunar logistics strategy, NASA released a Broad Agency Announcement through the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-2 (NextSTEP-2) Omnibus". "The request sought proposals from industry that might advance lunar cargo and mobility capabilities. Proposed areas of study included:"
- Logistics Carriers
- Logistics Handling and Offloading
- Logistics Transfer
- Staging, Storage and Tracking
- Trash Management
- Surface Cargo Transportation and Mobility Systems
- Integrated Strategy
Four dates: "Pre-Solicitation Released August 16, 2024"; "Pre-Solicitation Released August 27, 2024"; "Solicitation Released September 20, 2024"; "Source Selection Statement January 22, 2025". The slide shows the solicitation's cover, read from the image: "Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships -2 (NextSTEP-2) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)", "Appendix R: Lunar Logistics and Mobility Studies", "NNH16ZCQ001K-Appendix-R-1", "Draft Originally Issued: August 16, 2024", "Issue Date: September 20, 2024", "Amendment 004 Issued: October 21, 2024", "Proposals Due: October 25, 2024, by 12:00 PM Eastern Time", under a "Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate" letterhead.
This is the Appendix R that NASA's Industry Engagement page links (source page; RT-2). The slide calls it a request for proposals for studies, not a white paper, so it doesn't identify the 2025 Update's "Lunar Logistics and Mobility" paper (open question 30). It names no selected companies. NASA's Appendix R page does: on 23 January 2025, the day after the slide's source selection statement, NASA announced study contracts worth "a combined value of $24 million" to nine companies. The page gives one pre-solicitation date (16 August) and the number "NNH16ZCQ001K-Appendix-R", and names the ESDMD Strategy and Architecture Office where the slide's cover has a "Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate" letterhead (source page).
What changed by Rev C¶
These comparisons are the wiki's.
- The habitat's crew. "Up to 4 surface crew" (slide 12) against Rev C's "two crew members … from a minimum of 7 and up to 33 days" (ADD p. 57). Rev C is newer and the reference (open question 86).
- The cargo lander's capacity. "On the order of 2 tons" (slide 13); Rev C's one-pager gives "moderate amounts of cargo" and no figure (p. 59).
- Appendix letters. Rev B's B, C and D became Rev C's C, D and F, around the new data-gaps Appendix E (table above).
- "Decisions" became "definition". Rev C "Updated 'architecture decisions' terminology to 'architecture definition'" (p. 4); this deck still speaks of decisions.
- Gaps: 56 then, 57 now. Rev C added #0504 and #0505 and removed #0602 (Gaps index).
- Mars use cases for science. Slide 11's Mars use cases cover three goals; Rev C added "Mars use cases and functions for lunar and planetary science, heliophysics science, human and biological science, and physics and physical science objectives" (p. 4).
- Two more elements. Rev C added the Lunar Utility Rover and the Lunar Nuclear Fission System (p. 4); this deck has the Rev B set.
Oddities¶
As printed, images checked:
- "FN-U-201 L" for FN-U-204 L's title (slide 12; above).
- "made it's first Mars decision, selecting nuclear fission and the primary surface power generation technology" ("it's", and "and" for "as"; slide 16).
- Two "Pre-Solicitation Released" dates, August 16 and August 27, 2024, with no word on what differs (slide 18).
- The solicitation's letterhead names the "Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate" (slide 18), not ESDMD.
- "Decomposition of Blueprint Objectives" ("Blueprint" not expanded; slide 6).
- "Actions performed to effect desired uses cases" (slide 4).
Related pages¶
Architecture Updates, industry and academia deck · Architecture 101 deck · 2024 executive overview · Initial Surface Habitat · Lunar Surface Cargo Lander · Key definition tasks · Gaps index · Architecture definition process · RT-2 · ADD Rev C