Utilization Systems (U)

Summary. The systems whose main job is utilization: "science, research, test and evaluation, public outreach, education, and industrialization", including returning samples and utilization cargo to Earth (ADD Rev C, p. 44). "All sub-architectures ultimately support utilization", but this one holds the systems "that focus primarily on utilization". It has no element; payloads and equipment are covered in ADD Section 2.4 instead. Two technology gaps list it, neither named in the Moon Base Users Guide (near-term). Decomposition letter: U. A 2024 white paper, older than Rev C, sets six priority lunar science challenges against what the architecture would need to meet them (below).

NASA's description

"Utilization encompasses a range of activities that occur as part of the exploration campaign. These include science, research, test and evaluation, public outreach, education, and industrialization. The Utilization Systems sub-architecture comprises capabilities whose primary function is accomplishing these science, technology, and other activities, including sample and utilization cargo return to Earth.

All sub-architectures ultimately support utilization; and utilization systems levy functions and use cases across all other sub-architectures. For instance, the return of a frozen lunar surface sample would not only necessitate the use of dedicated utilization payloads and equipment for collection, stowage, and conditioning, but also leverage systems such as mobility and C&PNT to reach the sample, power for long-term surface stowage, and transportation and ground systems to return the sample to a facility on Earth. Similarly, some items may serve multiple functions (e.g., engineering cameras designed for operations but can provide valuable data to science). However, the Utilization Systems sub-architecture includes systems that focus primarily on utilization." (ADD Rev C, p. 44)

The ADD's general definition of utilization and of "Utilization Payloads and Equipment" is on the elements index (p. 21).

In the segments

From ADD Rev C:

• Human Lunar Return. "Initial utilization focuses on human-conducted science, sample collection, human research, and more" (p. 22). Both of its areas of future work are about utilization: "Increasing utilization down-mass capabilities to the lunar surface" and "Accommodating extravehicular utilization payloads (i.e., interfaces, resources)" (p. 26).
• Foundational Exploration. Infrastructure objective LI-9 drives "utilization" (p. 28). Several reference missions include deploying "science and utilization packages", on the surface and in cislunar space (pp. 29–30).
• Sustained Lunar Evolution. Science depends on delivering instruments "to a variety of locations on and around the Moon" and the ability "to condition, curate, and return samples and data to Earth" (p. 34); "science systems" is among the areas for expanded demand signals (p. 36).
• Humans to Mars systems "will represent transportation, logistics, utilization, and more" (p. 23).

Elements

None in Rev C (segment tables, pp. 26, 31–32). "In addition to exploration elements, crew members (i.e., astronauts), payloads, and utilization equipment satisfy many use cases and functions" (p. 45). Payloads and equipment are described in ADD Section 2.4 (p. 69), summarized on the elements index: its examples range from "Secondary payloads aboard transportation systems (e.g., SLS CubeSats)" to "Freezers for conditioning samples", and "NASA will formalize how science payloads map to Moon to Mars science objectives … as part of the next revision" (p. 69). Their function mappings are in Appendix B.4 (p. 166). Only "Equipment" is mapped, all U functions:

• Human Lunar Return: surface and shallow sample collection, FN-U-303 L
• Foundational Exploration: that, its PSR twin FN-U-304 L, and six functions for stowing refrigerated and frozen samples in transit (FN-U-402 L, FN-U-403 L, FN-U-405 L, FN-U-406 L, FN-U-408 L, FN-U-409 L)

"Science/research payloads and technology demonstrations are forward work", and "Utilization payloads function mappings are forward work and will appear in subsequent revisions" (p. 166).

U functions no element performs. ADD Appendix B.5 lists 21 U functions as unallocated (pp. 167–184; Lunar function allocation):

• orbital observation and resource identification
• payload hosting in deep space
• deep drill cores
• the cryogenic sample chain
• all propellant storage, management and surface transfer
• bioregenerative ECLSS and plant growth

27 of B.5's 75 Foundational Exploration use cases are utilization use cases. Many are science deployments that need mobility or cargo repositioning at sites away from the South Pole.

Technology gaps

Two gaps list this sub-architecture (derived from the tech gaps spreadsheet, Sub-Architectures column). Neither is named in the Moon Base Users Guide (near-term).

Gap	Rating
#1201 In-Situ Sample Storage and Processing	38
#1202 Planetary Protection Technologies	44

Moon Base Phase 1

The Users Guide has no Utilization group. One function with this sub-architecture's letter, FN-U-103 L ("Conduct resource identification utilization payload and/or equipment operations on the lunar surface"), is in its Mobility group (Users Guide, p. 10; Phase 1 functional gaps). The power group includes powering "deployed surface utilization payloads/equipment" (FN-P-401 L, FN-P-402 L), and the transportation group's value includes "Delivery of science and utilization payload" (p. 10).

Priority lunar science (ACR24 white paper, 2024)

The 2024 white paper "Priority Science Objectives Enabled through NASA's Moon to Mars Architecture" sets the planetary science community's priorities for the Moon against what the architecture would have to provide. It predates Rev C and covers lunar planetary science only. Page numbers in this section are the paper's.

Where the priorities come from. "NASA has implemented an objective-based approach to address high-priority and high-impact science questions" (p. 1). The decadal surveys "were the source material for the Moon to Mars science objectives". The Science Mission Directorate was writing an "Implementation Plan for a NASA Integrated Lunar Science Strategy in the Artemis Era", then "currently in draft", for planetary science, and planned "an additional document" for the other science disciplines and the Human Research Program (p. 1). The paper "overviews how NASA will integrate science discipline areas with architectural elements as they come online" (p. 1).

Six lunar science challenges (Table 1, p. 1). "Three are architecture-dependent; three will require the incremental buildup of knowledge over time through investigations across varied lunar surface destinations." The objective codes are as printed; the Objectives page says where LPS-1 to LPS-3 come from.

#	Challenge	LPS objective(s)	Kind	What the architecture would need (p. 2)
1	South Pole-Aitken Basin Sample Return	LPS-1, LPS-2	architecture-dependent	The decadal's Endurance-A concept, "a strategic medium-class mission" and "the highest priority of the Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program": "long-lived, long-distance roving capabilities coupled with robotic sampling and large cargo sample return via crewed Artemis missions"
2	Lunar Geophysical Network	LPS-1, LPS-2	architecture-dependent	"6 to 10 years of concurrent operations on the lunar surface at more than four nodes spread across the lunar globe"; "long-lived surface assets (i.e., power and thermal control), global access, and communications and data transfer to both the near and far sides of the Moon"
3	Cryogenic Volatile Sample Return	LPS-3	architecture-dependent	"cryogenic freezers and sampling techniques, large cargo return, access to permanently shadowed regions, curatorial, and analytical facilities capable of storing, processing, and analyzing cryogenic samples"
4	Lunar Chronology	LPS-1, LPS-2	progressive	All three progressive challenges: "local/global access to diverse locations, sample return, in-situ analyses, deployment of diverse instruments, access to the lunar subsurface, and more"
5	Lunar Formation and Evolution	LPS-1, LPS-2	progressive	(as above)
6	Lunar Volatiles	LPS-3	progressive	(as above)

The first three "are listed in the priority order established by the planetary science community" (p. 2).

How the architecture covers them. "NASA's Moon to Mars Architecture can enable all six of these science challenges through a mixture of robotic and human capabilities." Some investigations "may be carried out or supplemented by robotic missions, including NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, directed or competed missions, or uncrewed human-rated platforms (e.g., Lunar Terrain Vehicle)", and "missions to non-polar destinations will allow science to address objectives that need global access" (p. 2). Later segments add "mobility (e.g., Pressurized Rover), habitation (e.g., the initial surface habitat element), and surface power", allowing "more comprehensive and long-duration investigations into space biology, fundamental physics, physical sciences, and human research" in the South Pole region (p. 2). Takeaway: "The specific needs of scientific investigations contributing to NASA's science goals drive architecture definition efforts" (p. 3).

What changed by Rev C (the wiki's comparison; details on the source page):

• The mapping of science to the architecture is still forward work: "NASA will formalize how science payloads map to Moon to Mars science objectives and point to reference locations as part of the next revision" (ADD Rev C, p. 69). Rev C doesn't mention SMD's plan.
• Non-polar landings are now a Foundational Exploration reference mission, the "Non-polar Lunar Sortie" (ADD p. 30; Foundational Exploration).
• Rev C's own example for this sub-architecture is "the return of a frozen lunar surface sample" (above), and the lunar use cases include frozen-sample return (UC-T-305 L, UC-T-306 L) and far-side work. The paper's word is "cryogenic", which gap #1201 keeps apart from "frozen".

In the February 2025 workshop briefing

SMD's part of the "Foundational Exploration" panel at both February 2025 workshops, ten months before Rev C, listed "Key Gaps Existing for Science" in that segment (FE gaps deck, slide 7; the international deck has the same slide under another presenter). "Current High Priority Gaps for Science":

• "Payload delivery, transport, and survive/operate the night"
• "Far Side Sample Return"
• "Large Cargo Return"
• "Communications (EVA, deployed instruments, far side/global)"
• "Power (long lived instruments, recharge, storage, StN/operate through night)"
• "Cold conditioned sampling and curation (sampling/PSR conops, technologies, curation, analytical facilities)"

"Upcoming Academy / SDT Studies That Will Inform Architecture": "High Priority Science Campaigns for Human Explorers on the Surface of Mars"; "SPA Return & Exploration (SPARX) Science Definition Team"; "Key Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers"; "Science Accomplished during Human Mars Transit (planned)"; "Science Addressed from a Sustained Lunar Basecamp (planned)". None of the studies is among the wiki's sources.

The same panel's architecture slides list three Utilization gaps among the segment's high-priority "integrated gaps", all "Pending Utilization Analysis": "Resource Identification on Lunar Surface", "Deep Subsurface Sampling on Lunar Surface" and "Storage of Cryogenic Samples"; and two secondary ones, "Lunar Surface Observation" and "Hosting of Utilization Payloads in Deep Space" (slides 4–5; Foundational Exploration).

Against the 2024 paper and Rev C (the wiki's comparison). The paper's three architecture-dependent needs (long-distance roving, a far-side-linked geophysical network, cryogenic sample return) recur in SMD's list as far-side communications and cold sampling and curation, and the paper also names "large cargo return" (p. 2). "Survive/operate the night" is not in the paper (search of its text for "night"). Rev C's B.5 lists the cryogenic sample chain and large returns to Earth as unallocated (Foundational Exploration).

SMD also briefed the 2024 priority-science paper, with the humans-in-space paper, at both workshops (industry and academia deck; partners' copy). The slides reprint the papers' first pages and Table 1 (slides 3, 5, 6) and add almost nothing to them: four science-community reports (slide 4), the Artemis III science team (slide 7) and discussion prompts (slide 10).

In the February 2024 workshop briefing

Older than Rev B and Rev C, the February 2024 workshops briefed the 2023 paper "Analytical Capabilities In Situ Versus Mass of Returned Lunar Samples" (not held; lead authors Andrew Needham, Ryan Ziegler and Kevin Sato) (in situ vs sample return briefing). Its question, as printed on the paper's first page (read from a thumbnail): "Can modern payloads to the Moon provide sufficient analytical capabilities to replace the need for return of samples to Earth?"

• Why samples (slides 2–3): lunar samples range "from a few hundred million years to more than 4 billion years old"; Apollo's 382 kg came from "similar areas of the Moon", and "the lunar poles, remain unsampled".
• In situ (slide 4): miniaturized instruments can characterize mineralogy, identify compounds and, "for a subset of targets", give "useful information on the age of a sample", with more chances from "smaller, lighter, and uncrewed missions".
• Sample return (slide 5): Earth labs' "vastly superior accuracy and precision", complex sample preparation, and curation "for years or even decades" for re-analysis.
• The answer (slide 6): "case-by-case"; "broad Artemis and Moon-to-Mars objectives are achievable only though an integrated strategy involving both in situ analysis and return of samples to Earth".

The pairing with the 2024 priority-science paper's "Cryogenic Volatile Sample Return" above is the wiki's; the slides don't discuss cryogenic samples, and cite no objective or gap.

Related pages

Sub-architectures · Elements · Mobility Systems · Human Lunar Return · Gaps index · Objectives: the ten goals · Science objectives and the decadal surveys (the 2023 mapping of 13 science objectives to decadal research, including the subjects of the three "architecture-dependent" challenges above) · Lunar use cases · Why Moon to Mars: why humans, for science

Sources

ADD Rev C, pp. 21–23, 26, 28–30, 34, 36, 40, 44–45, 69 · Tech gaps spreadsheet · Users Guide, p. 10 · Priority Science Objectives (ACR24), pp. 1–3 · FE gaps deck, Feb 2025, slides 4, 5, 7 · "Human Exploration Enables Science" briefing, Feb 2025, slides 3–7, 10 (partners' copy) · In situ vs sample return briefing, Feb 2024, slides 2–6