NASA is asking U.S. {industry} to submit progressive structure options that would assist the company land and transfer cargo on the lunar surfaced throughout future Artemis missions. Launched in September, the company’s request for proposal additionally helps NASA’s broader Moon to Mars Aims.

Beforehand, NASA printed two white papers outlining lunar logistics and mobility gaps as a part of its Moon to Mars structure improvement effort that augmented an earlier white paper on logistics concerns. The present ask, Lunar Logistics and Mobility Research, expects proposing firms to contemplate these publications, which describe NASA’s future wants for logistics and mobility.

“NASA depends on collaborations from numerous companions to develop its exploration structure,” stated Nujoud Merancy, deputy affiliate administrator, technique and structure within the Exploration Techniques Improvement Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Research like this permit the company to leverage the unimaginable experience within the business aerospace neighborhood.”

Lunar Logistics Drivers, Wants

Logistics objects, together with meals, water, air, and spare components, comprise a comparatively massive portion of the cargo NASA expects to wish to maneuver round on the Moon, together with on the lunar South Pole the place the company plans to ship crew sooner or later.

The Lunar Logistics Drivers and Wants white paper outlines the significance of precisely predicting logistics resupply wants, as they will closely affect the general structure and design of exploration missions.

Because the company progresses into extra advanced lunar missions, NASA would require increasingly more lunar logistics because the company will increase mission frequency and period. This present proposal seeks {industry} research that would assist inform NASA’s strategy to this rising want.

Lunar Mobility Drivers, Wants

The white paper discusses the transportation of landed cargo and exploration belongings from the place they’re delivered to the place they’re used, equivalent to to areas with very best lighting, away from ascent car touchdown websites, or close to different belongings. These distances can vary from yards to miles away from touchdown areas, and the power to maneuver round touchdown websites simply and rapidly are key to exploring the lunar floor effectively.

NASA’s present deliberate lunar mobility components, such because the Lunar Terrain Automobile and Pressurized Rover, have a functionality restrict of about 1,760 kilos (800 kilograms) and can primarily be used to move astronauts across the lunar floor. Nevertheless, future missions might embrace a necessity to maneuver cargo totaling round 4,400 to 13,000 kilos (2,000 to six,000 kg). To satisfy this demand, NASA should develop new mobility capabilities with its companions.

Lunar Floor Cargo

The Lunar Floor Cargo white paper characterizes lunar floor cargo supply wants, compares these wants with present cargo lander capabilities, and descriptions concerns for fulfilling this functionality hole. Whereas cargo supply capabilities at present included within the Moon to Mars structure — like CLPS (Industrial Lunar Payload Companies) and human-class supply landers — can meet near-term wants, there are substantial gaps for future wants.

Entry to a various fleet of cargo landers would empower a bigger lunar exploration footprint. A mix of worldwide partnerships and U.S. industry-provided landers might provide the ideas and capabilities to fulfill this want. The request for proposals doesn’t explicitly search new lander ideas however does ask for built-in assessments of logistics that may embrace transportation components.

“We’re in search of {industry} to supply inventive insights that may inform our logistics and mobility technique,” stated Brooke Thornton, {industry} engagement lead for NASA’s Technique and Structure Workplace. “Finally, we’re hoping to develop our consciousness of the distinctive capabilities which might be or might grow to be part of the business lunar market.”

That is the most recent appendix to NASA’s Subsequent House Applied sciences for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP-2). Solicitations underneath NextSTEP search business improvement of capabilities that empower crewed exploration in deep area. NASA printed the most recent NextSTEP omnibus, NextSTEP-3, on Sept. 27.

Request for Proposals