ONHS Report: 10302026-01

Request for Information (RFI) for a Cislunar Space System (CSS)

Solicitation ID: 10302026-01

Agency: Department of the Air Force

Type: Special Notice

Deadline: 2026-11-13T12:00:00 ET

Eligibility: Govt. Team Only

Funding: N/A

Doc Type: RFI

Clearance: No

Program Manager: Shelby.Sommer@us.af.mil

Last Updated: 2026-11-02 17:03

Analyzed File: (U) CSS RFI_2026_10_30 Final.pdf

Eligibility Reasoning

Respondents are hereby notified that the Government intends to utilize non-Government consultants, e.g., Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) contractors and Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) personnel, to review RFI responses and provide technical advice.

Note: This is an AI-generated summary...

Summary

The Department of the Air Force (DAF) is seeking information from industry for a Cislunar Space System (CSS) to inform a potential acquisition. The DAF is interested in procuring up to five space vehicles (SVs) as seed vehicles for a future proliferated cislunar constellation, with an initial launch capability goal of late calendar year 2029. The RFI requests information on rapid, low-risk, commercial or non-developmental solutions. The complete system includes the spacecraft bus, integration of a government-provided payload, SV integration and test, a ground segment for mission management and communications, a launch solution, system integration, and operations. Key technical objectives for each SV include a 3 to 5-year design life, a payload capacity up to 2,000 kg, payload power of 1-3 kW, 72-hour autonomous operations, and NSA Type-I encryption. The government intends to award up to five Firm Fixed Price (FFP) preliminary design study contracts based on the RFI responses. (Source: (U) CSS RFI_2026_10_30 Final.pdf.)

Overall Technical Areas

Cislunar Orbit DynamicsSpacecraft Bus DesignPayload Integration & InterfacesGuidance, Navigation & Control (GNC)Autonomous Spacecraft OperationsSpace Vehicle Integration & Test (AI&T)Ground Segment Command & Control (C2)Mission Planning & Scheduling (MPS)Onboard & Ground Data ProcessingSpacecraft Communications SystemsLaunch Integration & Fairing OptimizationSpace Systems CybersecurityLaunch Environment AnalysisCislunar Pointing, Navigation, & Timing (PNT)

Probable LBNL Areas

BSACSAEESAETALDPSA

Focus Areas

Example Priorities:

A Space Segment that maximizes the number of SVs per launch by employing techniques such as compact bus designs and innovative stacking and mounting techniques to optimize the limited volume within a launch vehicle fairing.
Operating Regime: Throughout cislunar space to include Earth-Moon transfers, libration point orbits, resonant orbits, and low energy transfer trajectories to Sun-Earth L1/L2.
Propulsive maneuverability to support cislunar orbit transfer, orbit insertions, and orbit station keeping.
Description of planned approach for cislunar Pointing, Navigation, and Timing (PNT), including a discussion of respondent or respondent team experience using that approach.
Description of the bus to be used to include the planned bus provider and approach to accomplish the production rate required to meet schedule objectives.

Specific Technical Skills:

Spacecraft Bus DesignCislunar Trajectory DesignGuidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC)Pointing, Navigation, and Timing (PNT)Propulsion SystemsOrbital MechanicsThermal EngineeringElectrical EngineeringSpace Vehicle Assembly, Integration & Test (AI&T)End of life disposal

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Daniel Gerber	0.76	ETA \| Building & Industrial Energy Systems \| Bldg Technologies Dept · Electrical Engineering
Panagiotis Zarkos	0.75	PSA \| Engineering \| Electronic Engineering · Spacecraft Bus Design
Peter Tennessen	0.75	PSA \| Engineering \| Mechanical Engineering · Thermal Engineering
Claire Tomlin	0.74	BSA \| Biological Systems & Engineering \| Department of BioEngineering and BioMedical Sciences · Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC)
Eric Masanet	0.74	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Systems & Energy Tech Analysis · End of life disposal
Simo Makiharju	0.74	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Systems & Energy Tech Analysis · Propulsion Systems
Alessio Amodio	0.73	PSA \| Engineering \| Electronic Engineering · Pointing, Navigation, and Timing (PNT)
Zachary Needell	0.73	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Systems & Energy Tech Analysis · Cislunar Trajectory Design
Peter Therkelsen	0.72	ETA \| Building & Industrial Energy Systems \| Bldg & Industrial App Dpt · Space Vehicle Assembly, Integration & Test (AI&T)
Jeremy Smith	0.72	EESA \| EG \| Geophysics Dept · Orbital Mechanics

Example Priorities:

A Ground Segment that provides solutions for tasking, mission planning and scheduling (MPS), and command and control (C2); data processing; on-orbit initialization and calibration; and operations and maintenance (O&M) of the System.
Description of the planned ground segment approach for C2 and MPS of a multi-SV system.
Description of planned approach for data processing. Include a description of respondent or respondent team relevant experience with developing and fielding processing solutions for multi-SV systems.
Discuss respondent or respondent team experience with using Super Intelligence (SI) to manage autonomous SV operations over extended durations.

Specific Technical Skills:

Mission Planning and Scheduling (MPS)Command and Control (C2)Satellite OperationsData Processing PipelinesCloud IntegrationGround System ArchitectureDevOpsAutonomous OperationsCybersecurityOperations & Maintenance (O&M)

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Tiffany Connors	0.76	CSA \| NERSC \| Data Center Department · Cybersecurity
Anna Giannakou	0.76	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications · Data Processing Pipelines
Han Lee	0.74	PSA \| Engineering \| Electronic Engineering · Ground System Architecture
Nicholas DeForest	0.74	ETA \| Energy Technologies and Systems \| Energy Storage & Dist Dpt · Operations & Maintenance (O&M)
Rich Wolski	0.74	CSA \| ESNET \| Science Engagement · Cloud Integration
Claire Tomlin	0.74	BSA \| Biological Systems & Engineering \| Department of BioEngineering and BioMedical Sciences · Autonomous Operations
Gregory Lemieux	0.73	EESA \| CESD \| Earth System Sciences · DevOps
Alexandre Bayen	0.73	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Systems & Energy Tech Analysis · Command and Control (C2)
Juan Pablo Carvallo	0.72	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Energy Markets & Planning · Mission Planning and Scheduling (MPS)
Louis-Benoit Desroches	0.72	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Energy Efficiency Studies · Satellite Operations

Example Priorities:

A Launch Segment Integration solution that provides launch integration on a government-provided National Security Space Launch (NSSL) booster.
A Communication Segment that supports operationally responsive tasking and delivery timelines.
Description of the planned communications approach for meeting operationally responsive tasking and delivery timelines.
If multiple vehicles are planned per launch, provide a description of a launch adapter compatible with at least one NSSL provider.

Specific Technical Skills:

Launch Vehicle IntegrationNational Security Space Launch (NSSL)Launch Adapter DesignOrbit Injection DynamicsSpacecraft Separation DynamicsCommunications Systems DesignTelemetry, Tracking & Control (TT&C)Wideband CommunicationAntenna IntegrationSpectrum Management

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Bruce Mah	0.75	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement · Communications Systems Design
Evangelos Chaniotakis	0.74	CSA \| ESNET \| Systems and Software · Communications Systems Design
Peter Tennessen	0.73	PSA \| Engineering \| Mechanical Engineering · Launch Adapter Design
Dipak Ghosal	0.72	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement · Wideband Communication
Bruce Nordman	0.72	ETA \| Building & Industrial Energy Systems \| Bldg Technologies Dept · Spectrum Management
Chad Mitchell	0.71	PSA \| ATAP \| Advanced Modeling Prog · Orbit Injection Dynamics
Alexandre Bayen	0.71	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Systems & Energy Tech Analysis · Telemetry, Tracking & Control (TT&C)
Stijn (Stan) Wielandt	0.71	PSA \| Engineering \| Electronic Engineering · Antenna Integration
Shawn Tornga	0.71	LD \| LD \| ONHS · National Security Space Launch (NSSL)
Revathi Jambunathan	0.71	CSA \| AMCR \| Applied Mathematics · Launch Vehicle Integration

Example Priorities:

A System for hosting Government-provided payloads that is proven through rapid fielding demonstrations and subsequently transitioned to production to meet Government mission and delivery requirements.
Interfaces, including modular spacecraft bus to payload interfaces to accommodate different sized payloads, and external interfaces to external systems for tasking and data dissemination.
Program Management - Project planning and scheduling, risk management frameworks, cost estimation and control, supply chain and vendor management.
Cybersecurity: Implementation of NSA Type-I encryption/decryption.

Specific Technical Skills:

Program ManagementSystems EngineeringInterface ControlModular Open Systems ApproachRisk ManagementSupply Chain ManagementNSA Type-I EncryptionRequirements ManagementProduction PlanningCost Estimation and Control

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Kristina S. H. LaCommare	0.77	ETA \| Building & Industrial Energy Systems \| Whole Building Sys Dept · Program Management
Eric Masanet	0.75	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Systems & Energy Tech Analysis · Systems Engineering
Thomas Hendrickson	0.74	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Systems & Energy Tech Analysis · Supply Chain Management
Alexandre Bayen	0.74	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Systems & Energy Tech Analysis · Risk Management
Bruce Nordman	0.73	ETA \| Building & Industrial Energy Systems \| Bldg Technologies Dept · Interface Control
Steven Hofmeyr	0.73	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science · NSA Type-I Encryption
Minliang Yang	0.73	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Systems & Energy Tech Analysis · Production Planning
Gregory Lemieux	0.73	EESA \| CESD \| Earth System Sciences · Requirements Management
Kameshwar Poolla	0.72	ETA \| Energy Technologies and Systems \| Energy Storage & Dist Dpt · Cost Estimation and Control
Nicholas DeForest	0.72	ETA \| Energy Technologies and Systems \| Energy Storage & Dist Dpt · Modular Open Systems Approach

Potential LBNL PIs (Overall)

Note on PI Matching: These suggestions are generated through an AI-driven semantic analysis of LBNL staff profiles.

Name	Score	Organization
Louis-Benoit Desroches	0.73	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Energy Efficiency Studies · Launch Environment Analysis
Tiffany Connors	0.73	CSA \| NERSC \| Data Center Department · Space Systems Cybersecurity
Claire Tomlin	0.73	BSA \| Biological Systems & Engineering \| Department of BioEngineering and BioMedical Sciences · Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC)
Gregory Lemieux	0.72	EESA \| CESD \| Earth System Sciences · Ground Segment Command & Control (C2)
Mario Cromaz	0.72	PSA \| NSD \| Low Energy Nuclear Science · Spacecraft Bus Design
Houjun Tang	0.72	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications · Onboard & Ground Data Processing
Yuan Mei	0.72	PSA \| PHY \| Atlas · Payload Integration & Interfaces
Bruce Mah	0.71	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement · Spacecraft Communications Systems
Holger Mueller	0.71	BSA \| Molecular Biophysics & Integrated Bioimaging \| Structural Biology Dept · Cislunar Pointing, Navigation, & Timing (PNT)
Grant Cutler	0.71	PSA \| Engineering \| Mechanical Engineering · Launch Integration & Fairing Optimization

Fundamental Research Exemption (FRE)

Not Mentioned