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
NASA is issuing a Request for Information (RFI) to gather insights from commercial providers regarding Enabling Commercial Lunar Transportation to support a sustained lunar base. This RFI is crucial for shaping future acquisition strategies for Artemis Commercial Lunar Transportation Solutions. Responses are due by April 23, 2026, 11:59 PM EST.
Purpose & Scope
This RFI, aligned with the Executive Order “Ensuring American Space Superiority,” seeks to establish a permanent, continuously crewed U.S. lunar base by leveraging rapid, resilient, commercially provided space infrastructure. NASA is interested in transportation concepts capable of supporting the sustained buildup, logistics resupply, and crew rotation tempo required for lunar base operations. This is not a request for proposal; it is for planning purposes only.
Key Requirements
- Proposed human transportation systems must be capable of rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking (RPOD) with existing Human Landing System (HLS) providers.
- Architectures should demonstrate a clear path to supporting future Artemis architecture requirements.
- NASA encourages proposals for trajectories, staging orbits, and operational profiles that best support current HLS vehicles and future Artemis needs.
- Responses should address how systems can evolve existing capabilities or introduce new architectures.
- New entrants must describe a 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, excluding surface delivery except for docking/transfer). Crewed missions are assumed every 6 months (1 per year per provider).
Submission Details
- Responses must be submitted in PDF format electronically via the provided Box link.
- Submissions require a 2-page Executive Summary (incorporating Response Summary and Instructions for Submittal content) and a 10-page detailed response, with an optional 5-page appendix.
- Responses are due by April 23, 2026, 11:59 PM EST.
Eligibility
Respondents should indicate if they qualify as a small business, small disadvantaged business, or other socioeconomic category. No specific set-aside is applied to this RFI.
Important Notes
NASA will not reimburse respondents for any costs associated with this RFI response. Responses will be reviewed by civil servants and support service contractors.