RFI-Display 1-27-2026_mdc.pdf

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Request for Information (RFI)

Ultra-Low Power Bistable Display for Lunar Surface EVA Operations Date of Issuance: 1/27/2026

Response Due Date: 2/26/2026

1 Description This is a Request for Information (RFI) notice and is for INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. This IS NOT a REQUEST for PROPOSALS, QUOTATIONS, or BIDS. Responses to this request will not be returned. It is the intent of the Contracting Office to use this information for market research purposes only and to determine the best acquisition strategy for this requirement. The survey is being conducted to determine the interest of industry within North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 334419, Other Electronic Component Manufacturing, and Product and Service Code (PSC) code 5821, Radio and Television Communication Equipment, Airborne, and establish that there are adequate Large and/or Small Business contractors for providing an ultra-low power bistable display unit that meets the desired specification requirements. The Government WILL NOT pay for the provision of any information, nor will it compensate any respondents for the development of any such information.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is conducting market research to identify potential sources for a high-reliability, ultra-low power electronic display module. This component will be integrated into a handheld astronaut science instrument and/or tool designed for use on the lunar surface during Extravehicular Activity (EVA).

The primary objective of this RFI is to identify display technologies that maintain state with zero power consumption, operate reliably in extreme thermal environments (-30°C to +50°C), and meet the rigorous constraints of human space flight.

2 Performance Requirements Vendors are requested to provide information on products or capabilities that meet the following specifications. If a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solution does not exist, please provide details on custom engineering capabilities to achieve these targets.

2.1 Physical & Mechanical Constraints

a. Active Area Dimensions:

o Diagonal: 54 mm o Approximate Length x Width: 49 mm x 24 mm

b. Form Factor: Low-profile integration suitable for a handheld portable chassis.

c. Mass: Less than .1 kg is assumed, please provide estimate

2.2 Electrical & Power

a. Bistability: The display must be bistable (e.g., Electrophoretic, Cholesteric LCD, or similar). It must require power only to change the image state.

b. Static Power Consumption: Must be effectively zero (0W) when the image is static.

c. Update Power: Please specify peak power and energy required per image update.

d. Interface: Preferred interface (e.g., SPI, I2C) for integration with low-power microcontrollers.

2.3 Optical Performance

a. Readability: Sunlight readable in high-contrast lunar lighting conditions (direct solar illumination vs. deep shadow).

b. Viewing Angle: Wide viewing angles (>160°) preferred to accommodate varying astronaut operational postures.

c. Resolution: Sufficient for displaying alphanumeric data, basic schematics, and status indicators (suggested >130 DPI).

d. Visual Clarity: Cover glass/lens must accommodate anti-glare/anti-reflective coatings suitable for the lunar visual environment.

3 Environmental & EVA Compatibility The operational environment is the lunar surface. This is the critical filter for this RFI.

3.1 Thermal Limits

a. Operational Range: -30 C to +50 C

Note: The display must fully function (update and maintain contrast) across this range.

b. Non-Operational/Survival Range: -40 C to +60 C

Note: The display must survive and resume full operation upon returning to the operational range.

3.2 Environmental Exposure

a. Operational Life: The device will be dormant during launch and trans/to lunar orbit for up to 3 months and then be operational on the external lunar surface for up to eight 8-hour Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVAs).

b. Vacuum: The device will operate in a hard vacuum. The display stack must not delaminate or fail due to pressure differentials.

c. Outgassing (ASTM E595): Materials used to be low outgassing - Total Mass Loss < 1.0% and Collected Volatile Condensable Material< 0.10%.

d. Radiation: Resistance to ionizing radiation suitable for lunar surface duration (please state any known RAD-hard testing or heritage).

o Total Ionizing Dose (TID) Design Threshold: 10 krad(Si) No permanent "stuck pixels" or driver latch-ups up to the threshold dose.

o Single Event Effects (SEE) Latch-up Immune: The driver Integrated Circuit (IC) must be immune to Single Event Latch-up (SEL) to a Linear Energy Transfer (LET) of > 75 MeV*cm^2/mg.

3.3 Extra-Vehicular Activity Accommodation

a. Inadvertent Loads: The device must withstand astronaut contact loads up to 50 lb.

b. Shatter-proof: Cover glass/lens shall consist of a non-shatterable material.

3.4 Lunar Dust and Regolith

a. Ingress Protection: The display shall be sealed against dust intrusion equivalent to an IP6X

(Dust Tight) rating per IEC 60529.

b. Surface Hardness: The viewing surface must be scratch-resistant (minimum 7H hardness) to prevent abrasion from gloved wiping of lunar regolith.

3.5 Technology Maturity

a. Technology Readiness Level: TRL-6 minimum

Note: When discussing capability, vendors must consider NASA will not pay for development or non-recurring engineering costs as part of this planned procurement.

4 Questions for Response

1. Do you have any existing >TRL-6 commercial off the shelf options? If no, please provide information on technologies that are sufficiently well-established to show relevant results in commercial applications but that may not be specifically targeted on spaceflight use cases.

2. If no commercial off the shelf option exists, provide a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) (tasks & cost) to bring a commercial product used in a commercial application to lunar surface cases. (TRL-6)

3. What is the anticipated lead time for delivery once an order is placed? At this time can you meet a delivery date of June 2027? If so, when would you require an order to be placed?

4. Are there supply chain management, logistics planning, forecasting production requirements, long-lead time parts procurement, diminishing manufacturing sources and material shortage issues the Government should take into consideration?

5. Describe heritage and flight/field proven experience of the proposed display or similar displays in extreme environments.

6. What testing and qualification has been performed or would be required for lunar surface environment compatibility (thermal cycling, vacuum, radiation, etc.)?

7. Detailed explanation of how the low temperature requirements are met. If a heater is required, provide a power estimate for the heater during the update cycle.

5 Vendor responses should include:

1. Vendor name.

2. Vendor's Unique Identifier Number and CAGE Code(s).

3. Identification of the vendor's small business status.

4. Product literature demonstrating the capability or planned capability showing the firm's ability to provide the display.

5. Descriptions of Experience - Interested vendors must provide no more than (3) example projects completed, or significantly completed (i.e. 90%) in the past 5 years. Example projects must be of similar size and scope, preferably including experience with space-qualified or extreme environment wireless systems.

6. Technical approach for adapting commercial display technology for lunar surface operations.

7. Responses t the questions listed in Section 4.

8. Estimated pricing.

NOTE: Total submittal package shall be no longer than 5 pages.

Small Businesses are reminded under FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting; they must perform at least 50% of the cost of the contract with the firm's own employees for a supply-type procurement. Include the percentage of work that will be self-performed on this project, and how it will be accomplished.