DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 9TH JANUARY

Objective of this Call

ESA has prepared and is preparing science and technology payloads for the Moon and is open to arranging flight, delivery and operations with commercial service providers. Delivery and operations services may be considered from European and non-European suppliers. However, a priority for ESA is to procure from European suppliers, to support European industry. Therefore, information is requested on how a delivery and operations service can be arranged in such a way that any costs to ESA result in expenditure within ESA member states (e.g. through the procurement of equipment and services from companies in ESA member states).

As a pilot activity ESA is seeking proposals from suppliers for the flight of two distinct but related payloads:

• NILS (Negative Ions at the Lunar Surface), PFM#2.  This is a duplicate of a single instrument that ESA contributed to the Chang’E-6 lunar far-side sample-return mission in June 2024.  Please see the attached documentation describing the design, interfaces and configuration.  (Please note that these documents are derived from the previous mission, and references to Chang'E-6 can be disregarded.)
• NEILS (Neutrals, Electrons and Ions at the Lunar Surface).  This payload is an evolution of the NILS concept, combining three instruments with flight heritage into a single package, simultaneously covering all three charge states of the rarified plasma environment at the lunar surface.  Please see the attached documentation describing the design, interfaces and configuration.  (Please note that this project is currently at the end of standard ECSS Phase B; Preliminary Design, in a mission-agnostic state.)

Flight opportunities utilising the configurations presented in the attached technical documentation will be preferred.  However, adaptation to different electrical interfaces, thermal interfaces, and operational scenarios may be possible, to be discussed in due course as needed.

Format of the Application

Please navigate to the “Submit Your Idea” button at the top of the page and complete the online form.

The following information will be requested:

1. Generic approach to arranging payload delivery services to ESA

• Company information
• Company background information
• Background, technical and service maturity
• Services offered
• Planned missions delivering payloads to the Moon
• Payload interfaces and integration approach
• Possible last minute flight opportunities or alternative flight options (e.g. payload slots that may appear late in a mission development)
• Proposed European payment approach

2a. Specific NILS flight offer 

• Proposed flight or mission and mission funding/technical status  
• Payload interface requirements, accommodation description, and anticipated thermal environment(s)
• Assembly, Integration and Test requirements 
• Operational scenario and TMTC approach/budgets
• Schedule
• Cost
• European service procurement approach

2b. Specific NEILS flight offer

• Proposed flight or mission and mission funding/technical status  
• Payload interface requirements, accommodation description, and anticipated thermal environment(s)
• Assembly, Integration and Test requirements 
• Operational scenario and TMTC approach/budgets
• Schedule
• Cost
• European service procurement approach

Schedule

• Release of RFI: 2nd December 2025
• Closing date: 9th January, 17:00 CET

Next steps

Based on the submissions received an approach will be prepared.