ESA Open Invitation to Tender AO10378
Open Date: 17/06/2020
Closing Date: 29/07/2020 13:00:00

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 20.139.06
Prog. Ref.: Preparation of Lunar
Budget Ref.: E/0181-01S – Preparation of Lunar
Special Prov.: AT+BE+CH+CZ+DE+DK+ES+FR+GB+GR+IE+IT+NL+NO+PL+PT+RO+SE+CA
Tender Type: C
Price Range: 200-500 KEURO
Products: Orbital Transportation & Re-entry Systems / Descent & Recovery / Recovery / Homing Beacon, …
Technology Domains: Automation, Telepresence & Robotics / Automation & Robotics Components and Technologies / Robot Ground Testing
Mechanisms / Exploration Tool Technologies
Establishment: ESTEC
Directorate: Dir of Human & Robotic Exploration Prog.
Department: Development Projects Group
Contract Officer: Tenho, Annika
Industrial Policy Measure: N/A – Not apply
Last Update Date: 17/06/2020
Update Reason: Tender issue

This activity concerns an Instrumented Drill for a mobile platform, or stationary platform with linear actuation, for use on the lunar surface. The Drill is assumed to be body-mounted to the platform and shall include vertical positioning. The Drill shall be instrumented with sensors for science, high temperature regolith processing (for science and/or ISRU demonstration) as well as sensors necessary for monitoring and control of the Drills operation. ESA is investing in the lunar sample handling and analysis chain, initially via procurement and flight of the PROSPECT package for the Russian Luna 27 lander. Other potential flight opportunities existfor instrumented drills but potentially with fewer resources available. This activity is intended to build upon existing developmentswithin ESA member states to bring an instrumented lunar drill to PDR level in anticipation of flight opportunities. It is thus expected that in the proposal significant hardware progress can already be demonstrated, to at least breadboard level.