Request for Information (RFI) Enabling Commercial Lunar Transportation to Support a Sustained Lunar Base
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), through its Marshall Space Flight Center, has issued a Request for Information (RFI) titled "Enabling Commercial Lunar Transportation to Support a Sustained Lunar Base." This RFI seeks input from commercial providers to shape a future acquisition strategy for Artemis Commercial Lunar Transportation Solutions, aiming to establish and sustain a permanent, continuously crewed U.S. lunar base. This initiative aligns with the Executive Order "Ensuring American Space Superiority." Responses are due April 23, 2026.
Scope of Information Sought
NASA is interested in transportation concepts capable of supporting the sustained buildup, logistics resupply, and crew rotation tempo required for lunar base operations. Key areas of interest include:
- Human transportation systems capable of rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking (RPOD) with existing Human Landing System (HLS) providers.
- Architectures demonstrating a clear path to supporting future Artemis requirements.
- Trajectories, staging orbits, and operational profiles that best support current HLS vehicles and future Artemis needs.
- How systems can evolve existing capabilities or introduce new architectures.
- For new entrants, a description of the path to human-rating certification. The RFI assumes two commercial providers for "end-to-end" lunar transportation (Earth launch through orbital transfer and return to Earth), with crewed missions delivered to the surface every 6 months (one mission per year per provider, initially). Surface delivery is not in scope, except for informing docking/transfer operations with HLS providers.
Submission Details
Responses must be submitted by April 23, 2026, 11:59 PM EST, in PDF format via a provided Box link. Submissions should include:
- A 2-page Executive Summary (incorporating content from Sections 4 and 5 of the RFI).
- A 10-page detailed response.
- An optional 5-page appendix. These page limits apply to the overall submission. While 12-point font is generally required, tables and figures have flexibility if clearly legible. Proprietary, EAR, ITAR, or other sensitive but unclassified (SBU) information is permitted if properly marked, but classified export controlled data is prohibited.
Additional Notes
This is an RFI for planning purposes only and is not a request for proposal. NASA will not reimburse respondents for any costs associated with preparing a response. Respondents are encouraged to indicate if they qualify as a small business, small disadvantaged business, or other socioeconomic category. The primary contact is Jason Arnold (jason.l.arnold@nasa.gov).