Capacity on a UHF-capable on-orbit MEO satellite
Closed Pre-Solicitation Posted
- Solicitation number
- RFI-RJZX-2026-RAPID
- Agency
-
Air Force Research Laboratory
Air Force Materiel Command, Department of Defense
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 517410 Satellite Telecommunications
- Place of performance
- Albuquerque, New Mexico 87120, United States
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is issuing a Request for Information to obtain access to bandwidth on a commercially owned and operated UHF-capable Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite for a near-term experimental campaign, with responses due by August 10, 2026, 1400 Mountain Time. Amendment 1 (issued July 23, 2026) corrected uplink and downlink frequency bands in Section 4.0.a.i; respondents must reference the amended RFI attachment "pMEO Demo Request for Information_AMEND1 23 Jul 26."
The experimental campaign will characterize MEO UHF spectrum, waveform, and user equipment operation; demonstrate interoperability between a potential future MEO UHF system and the existing GEO constellation; and inform a pathway to augment or replace the current GEO UHF system. AFRL prioritizes solutions offering immediate or near-term on-orbit service; an Initial Launch Capability by 2030 is potentially useful, but innovative approaches enabling earlier on-orbit capability are strongly desired.
Desired technical capabilities include UHF operations within 244–380 MHz with 20 MHz contiguous bandwidth in the 300–320 MHz and 360–380 MHz bands; Earth-fixed staring UHF footprints with a threshold of one beam and objective of two beams; support for MUOS WCDMA and modified MUOS WCDMA waveforms; coverage inclusive of 30–40 degrees north latitude; altitude operation within 8,000–22,000 km; and an indefeasible right of access for a threshold of 36 months or objective of useful life of the space vehicle.
Respondents must demonstrate compliance with DoD security requirements including CMMC Level 2 or higher readiness, NIST SP 800-171 compliance, COMSEC and TRANSEC capabilities, and NDAA Section 889 compliance. Responses are limited to 15 single-sided pages in 12-point Times New Roman, one-inch margins, single-spaced, maximum 7 MB, submitted via DoD Safe. Clarifying questions were due July 24, 2026. Foreign firms may participate as subcontractors but cannot serve as prime contractors. This RFI does not constitute a solicitation and does not commit the Government to contract; responses become Government property.
NAICS: 517410 (Satellite Telecommunications); PSC: DG11 (IT and Telecom–Network: Satellite Communications and Telecom Access Services).
Notice text
2 versions
Update #2 · Latest ·
This Request for Information (RFI) is focused on obtaining access to bandwidth carried by a commercially owned, commercially operated UHF-capable on-orbit MEO satellite for use in a near-term experimental campaign to:
- Characterize spectrum, waveform, and user equipment operation with a MEO UHF system
- Demonstrate interoperability between a potential future MEO UHF system and the existing GEO constellation
- Inform a time-sequenced pathway to augment or replace the GEO UHF system with a MEO capability
The offeror should consider technology solutions that prioritize existing space vehicle, payload and communications link capabilities to provide on-orbit service immediately or as soon as possible. An Initial Launch Capability (ILC) by 2030 is potentially useful, but innovative approaches leading to earlier on-orbit capability are strongly desired. The Government recognizes that this initial prototype may not be fully representative of a final, future architecture, but rather represents an initial step to explore providing UHF services from MEO.
AMENDMENT 1 (23 Jul 2026)
-
The following changes are hereby made to the above announcement:
-
Corrects the uplink and downlink frequency bands in Section 4.0.a.i
-
-
The attachment entitled "pMEO Demo Request for Information_FINAL 10 Jul 26" is removed in its entirety and replaced with "pMEO Demo Request for Information_AMEND1 23 Jul 26".
-
All other RFI content and due dates remain unchanged.
Refer to the attachment entitled "pMEO Demo Request for Information_AMEND1 23 Jul 26" for full details.
Update #1 ·
This Request for Information (RFI) is focused on obtaining access to bandwidth carried by a commercially owned, commercially operated UHF-capable on-orbit MEO satellite for use in a near-term experimental campaign to:
- Characterize spectrum, waveform, and user equipment operation with a MEO UHF system
- Demonstrate interoperability between a potential future MEO UHF system and the existing GEO constellation
- Inform a time-sequenced pathway to augment or replace the GEO UHF system with a MEO capability
The offeror should consider technology solutions that prioritize existing space vehicle, payload and communications link capabilities to provide on-orbit service immediately or as soon as possible. An Initial Launch Capability (ILC) by 2030 is potentially useful, but innovative approaches leading to earlier on-orbit capability are strongly desired. The Government recognizes that this initial prototype may not be fully representative of a final, future architecture, but rather represents an initial step to explore providing UHF services from MEO.
Refer to the attachment entitled "pMEO Demo Request for Information_FINAL 10 Jul 26".
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| pMEO RFI Inquiries 3 Aug 2026.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| pMEO RFI Inquiries 24 Jul 2026.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| pMEO Demo Request for Information_AMEND1 23 Jul 26.pdf | ||
| pMEO Demo Request for Information_FINAL 10 Jul 26.pdf |
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