Attachment G - Draft Government Furnished Equipment (GFE).pdf

ATTACHMENT G

GOVERNMENT FURNISHED EQUIPMENT (GFE)

03/04/2026

DRFP 80GSFC26R0011

CONTRACT TBD

Attachment G - Government Furnished

Equipment (GFE)

This document has been reviewed and determined not to contain export-controlled technical information.

March 4, 2026

Table of Contents

Introduction

EMI/EMC Considerations

Electra UHF Transceiver Description

Deliverables and Schedule

Introduction

NASA has identified the need for establishing a robust Mars relay infrastructure to provide mission-enabling and enhancing telecommunications and navigation services to future exploration elements. To this end, NASA has developed the Electra UHF Transceiver (EUT). The EUT is shown in Figure 1. Redundant EUTs were flown for the first time on the 2005 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) mission. A single-string Electra has since been launched onboard the 2013 Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN), and a dual-string version has been launched on the 2016 European Space Agency ExoMars/Trace Gas Orbiter. In addition, transceivers compatible with the EUT have flown on Phoenix, MSL, Insight, and Mars 2020. In recent years, the EUT has been upgraded to both address obsolete parts and add additional capabilities.

Figure 1: Electra UHF Transceiver

As a continuation of this strategy, NASA is providing two Flight Model (FM) units of the EUT radio for use on the 2028 Mars Telecommunications Network (MTN) Orbiter. The transceiver and ground support will be provided by NASA. However, the Contractor is responsible for any and all costs associated with integrating the transceiver into the overall flight system, and for implementing the functional capability within the project mission operation system/ground data system required to operate the transceiver.

Deliverables to the selected MTN Contractor will consist of two EUT FM units and a single baseband-only prototype with flight-like digital interfaces. For higher-fidelity compatibility testing an Engineering Model (EM) EUT will be provided to the selected MTN provider for test and return. Additionally, to support integration and testing of the EM and/or FM units with the larger flight system, a set of Ground Support Equipment (GSE) capable of serving as UHF relay partner will be provided to the selected MTN provider for test and return. Schedule and durations of loaned equipment will be determined by the Government based on the Contractor’s schedule and Agency priorities.

The remainder of this document provides a high-level description of the Electra interfaces to assist the Contractor in incorporating the Electra into their orbiter design.

EMI/EMC Considerations

Due to the relatively low frequencies and typically broad UHF antenna patterns, Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) issues should be carefully considered in accommodation of the Electra on a Mars orbiter. Just as spacecraft subsystems and payloads must be designed and implemented to avoid generation of EMI that would degrade communications on the deep space link to/from Earth, a Mars orbiter carrying the Electra must also ensure mitigation of any EMI that would degrade Electra relay communications at UHF frequencies.

As a reference, Figure 2 shows the EMI levels that Electra can tolerate without degradation across the UHF band. Any interference that couples into the UHF antenna and exceeds these levels into the Electra antenna port may increase receiver error rates or even cause a false carrier lock. Notches are included for the four most common return link channels

Early attention to EMI/EMC considerations in component and spacecraft design, and thorough component-level and system-level EMI/EMC testing, are key to achieving electromagnetic compatibility.

Frequency Range EMI Threshold (dBm) at EUT

Antenna Port

360-370 MHz -88

370-375 MHz -103

375-389 MHz -118

389-390.9 MHz -133

390.9-391.1 MHz -138

391.1-391.9 MHz -133

391.9-392.1 MHz -138

391.2-394 MHz -133

394-396 MHz -128

396-398 MHz -118

398-399.585625 MHz -128

399.585625-401.485625 MHz -133

401.485625-401.685625 MHz -138

401.685625-404.3 MHz -133

404.3-404.5 MHz -138

404.5-406.4 MHz -133

406.4-420 MHz -118

420-430 MHz -88

Figure 2: EUT EMI Thresholds

Table 5 Government Furnished Property (GFP) for MTN

Description Part number

Manufacturer Quantity Unit

Acquisition

Cost

Available

Date

Provided

As Is (Yes or

No)

Electra EUT FM

Radio

E699695-

L3Harris/JPL 1 $4.028M Feb 2027 Yes

Electra EUT FM

Radio

E699695-

L3Harris/JPL 1 $2.171M Feb 2027 Yes

Electra EUT PM

Baseband Radio

180137 JPL 1 $0.250M Oct 2026 Yes

Each item of Electra flight hardware units will be delivered with an End Item Data Package documenting all transceiver level test results. For the EUT, these include functional, environmental, and Proximity-1 protocol compliance testing.