Spacecraft Camera Requirements for Diverse Mission Applications

The California Institute of Technology’s (Caltech’s) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), located at 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, is issuing the subject RFI to obtain information from spacecraft operators, mission planners, and system integrators regarding camera requirements for space missions. This information will inform the development of flexible, modular spacecraft camera architectures and support subsequent vendor engagement.

This RFI is to also gather information of potential qualified sources and to obtain your business size relative to the following NAICS code: 334511 - Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing with a size standard of 1,350 employees. Responses to this RFI may be used by JPL to make appropriate decisions regarding a Small Business Set-Aside procurement.

Purpose

NASA's shift toward sustained infrastructure operations with standardized, reusable platforms at continuous cadence, exemplified by initiatives supporting permanent lunar bases, commercial transportation systems, and "Science as a Service" missions, drives the need for adaptable, high-performance imaging systems. This transition from custom, mission-specific camera designs to flexible, modular camera platforms that can serve multiple applications aims to reduce development cost and risk, leverage commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) ecosystems, and enable interoperability across diverse spacecraft systems.

The purpose of this RFI is to assess spacecraft camera requirements across a wide range of mission applications including science imaging, autonomous navigation, proximity operations and docking, stellar navigation, engineering monitoring, and other uses to inform the design of a flexible camera architecture. The insights gathered will guide camera architecture definition and may lead to an RFP soliciting camera development or procurement from qualified vendors.  The focus of this RFI is on the Command and Data Handling (C&DH) aspects of the camera - interfaces, protocols, storage, etc. with the goal of having a standardized camera interface, such that mission customization of camera optics does not require a re-design of the Avionics.

Overview

The flexible spacecraft camera capability is part of a broader NASA effort to modernize spacecraft avionics through reusable, standards-based components. By developing camera platforms that embrace open standards and interoperability, NASA aims to:

• Leverage commercial ecosystems: Benefit from ongoing advances in COTS imaging technologies, sensors, and processing capabilities
• Facilitate interoperability with COTS processing solutions: Emphasize open standards and compatibility with commercial image/video processing software
• Reduce development risk and cost: Build reusable camera platforms that can be adapted across multiple missions rather than developing one-off solutions, as well as providing a direct path from prototyping with COTS cameras to flight

This RFI seeks to understand customer requirements and desired capabilities to inform a flexible camera architecture suitable for a wide range of mission classes.

Camera Specifications

NASA seeks to understand spacecraft camera requirements across diverse mission applications. The categories below define the range of capabilities and constraints of interest.

Mission Applications

• Science imaging (planetary, lunar, asteroid surfaces; atmospheric observations; spectral imaging)
• Autonomous navigation (hazard detection, terrain relative navigation, feature tracking)
• Proximity operations and docking (rendezvous sensors, alignment cameras)
• Stellar navigation (star trackers, celestial attitude determination)
• Engineering cameras (deployment monitoring, health inspection, robotic arm guidance)
• Other specialized imaging applications

Preferred Data Interfaces and Protocols

• Interface Type (Ethernet, MIPI CSI-2, CoaXPress, SpaceWire, other legacy/proprietary interfaces)
• Physical Layer (100/1000/10000 Mbps, copper/fiber, Power over Ethernet)
• Standard data transfer protocols (GigE Vision, CoaXPress, Camera Link HS, RoCE v2, DDS)
• USB for test/development environments
• Multi-port redundancy needs (TSN Frame Replication and Elimination, other redundancy approaches)

Data Handling and Processing

• Resolution, Frame Rate, bits per pixel
• Embedded storage (frame buffering, local capture)
• On-camera processing (compression, feature extraction, image enhancement)
• External processing interface (raw frame output to host processor/GPU)
• Compatibility with specific COTS products, software packages, open standards

Physical Constraints (Size, Weight, Power - SWaP) – just the C&DH portion

• Physical dimensions and mass budgets
• Power consumption (operating and standby modes), input voltage
• Connector Types

Management and Control Capabilities

• Standard control API (GenICam, OPC UA for Machine Vision, other legacy/proprietary APIs)
• Telemetry (internally monitored temperature/voltage, vs externally available)
• Firmware updates and reprogramming capability
• Diagnostic and test modes                    

Requested Information

To understand spacecraft camera requirements and inform flexible camera architecture design, NASA seeks the following information from spacecraft operators, mission planners, and system integrators:

Please provide sample requirements for representative use case scenarios from your missions.

For each scenario, include responses to any of the relevant camera specifications, including any additional specifications of particular importance to your use case.

Additional Information

The requested information is for preliminary planning purposes only and does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that JPL will solicit you for such a procurement in the future.  Neither JPL nor the Government will be responsible for any costs incurred by you in furnishing this information.

Prospective subcontractors are advised that any information provided shall be deemed to be furnished with unlimited rights to JPL, with JPL assuming no liability for the disclosure, use or reproduction of such data.

Please provide the requested information by July 23, 2026 via email to:

• JPL Technical Manager, Mike Thielman at Michael.R.Thielman@jpl.nasa.gov
• JPL Acquisition Division personnel, Jane.Lee@jpl.nasa.gov.  If you have any questions about this RFI, please contact the undersigned. 

Sincerely,

Jane Lee

Group Supervisor

Acquisition | Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Office: 818-354-1586 | Mobile: 818-928-9581

4800 Oak Grove Drive

Pasadena, CA 91109-8099