RFI-WiFi 1-27-2026_mdc.pdf

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Request for Information (RFI)

Lunar Surface Wi-Fi Transceiver 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 334220, Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing, and Product and Service Code (PSC) 7G22, IT and Telecom – Network: Satellite and RF Communications Products (HW, Perpetual License Software), and establish that there are adequate Large and/or Small Business contractors for providing a Wi-Fi system 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 for the procurement of a lunar surface Wi-Fi transceiver to be installed in an external lunar surface payload that is used near the Artemis Human Landing System (HLS) and can transmit data to or receive commands from the HLS. The Wi-Fi system will provide wireless network connectivity on the lunar surface to support astronaut operations, equipment communication, and data transfer during future moon surface operations.

2 Performance Requirements

2.1 Wireless Performance

a. Wireless Protocol: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) or newer, backward compatible with Wi-Fi 5

(802.11ac) and Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)

b. Frequency Bands: 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz, responder should specify band selection capability

c. Channel Bandwidth: 20 MHz

d. Maximum Data Throughput: desire up to 6.5 Mbps at 200 m range

e. Operating Range: minimum 200 m line-of-sight in lunar surface environment

f. MIMO Configuration: 2x2 MIMO minimum

g. Number of Simultaneous Clients: minimum 3 concurrent connections

h. Transmit Power: 33 dBm maximum, software adjustable

i. Receiver Sensitivity: -75 dBm at least

2.2 Network Features

a. Quality of Service (QoS): prioritization for voice, video, and data traffic, display QoS

2.3 Electrical Interfaces

a. Primary Power Input Voltage: available voltages are 3.3V, 5V, 12V, or 28V.

b. Power Consumption (Idle): <5 W

c. Power Consumption (Operational/Peak): <10 W

d. Serial Interface: [e.g., RS-422, LVDS, UART] for configuration/monitoring

e. Status Indicators: indication of signal strength

2.4 Physical Characteristics

a. Dimensions: cubesat class

b. Mass: < 1 kg

c. Mounting: provide mounting interface details

d. Material: compatible with human space flight

3 Environmental Requirements

3.1 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 and 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%.

3.2 Thermal limits

a. Thermal Operating Range: -30°C to 50°C

b. Thermal Survival Range: -40 °C to 60°C

3.3 Radiation Tolerance

a. Total Ionizing Dose (TID): [10 krad(Si)] minimum over mission life

b. Single Event Effects (SEE):

• Single Event Latch-up (SEL) and Single Event Burnout (SEB) immune to a Linear Energy Transfer (LET) of > 75 MeV*cm^2/mg.

• Tolerant with mitigation to other single event effects (SEU, SEFI, SET)

3.4 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 Wi-Fi system or similar systems 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. What is your approach to ensuring reliable wireless performance in the lunar environment (regolith, multipath, temperature extremes)?

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 Wi-Fi system.

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 Wi-Fi technology for lunar surface operations.

7. Responses to the questions listed above 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.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: This system is intended for use on the lunar surface. Respondents should consider and address:

• Lunar thermal environment extremes and cycling

• Vacuum or near-vacuum operation

• Radiation hardening or tolerance requirements

• Lunar dust/regolith protection

• Compatibility with EVA suit systems and mobile platforms

• Range requirements in line-of-sight lunar terrain