ESA Open Invitation to Tender AO9619
Open Date: 21/12/2018
Closing Date: 12/02/2019 13:00:00

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 18.139.05
Prog. Ref.: DSH Complt Bart.E3P1
Budget Ref.: E/0171-01Q – DSH Complt Bart.E3P1
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: > 500 KEURO
Products: Orbital Transportation & Re-entry Systems / Mechanisms / Mechanisms / Other
Techology Domains: System Design & Verification / Mission and System Specification / Specification Methods and Tools
Establishment: ESTEC
Directorate: Dir of Human & Robotic Exploration Prog.
Department: Exploration Group
Division: Exploration Systems Team
Contract Officer: Ekatomati, Georgia
Industrial Policy Measure: N/A – Not apply
Last Update Date: 21/12/2018
Update Reason: Tender issue

ESA and the other ISS International Partners IPs), CSA, JAXA, NASA and Roscosmos, have been studying a concept for a Cislunar man-tended Space Station, known as the Gateway. The Gateway is meant to be launched and assembled mainly using NASAs Space Launch System(SLS) and the Orion crew vehicle, where the main Gateway building blocks are co-manifested with Orion. The Gateway will provide a man-tended outpost in proximity of the Moon, capable of supporting the development and long term testing of systems required for Moonsurface exploration, transfers to Mars and Mars surface exploration.One of the contributions to the Gateway identified by the Agency is the European System Providing Refuelling, Infrastructure and Tele-communications (ESPRIT). The ESPRIT will be launched with the NASA provided Utilisation Module (UM) as an integrated launch package co-manifested with Orion. The ESPRIT+UM stack will be transferred to the moon and docked to the orbiting Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) by Orion. The main functions of ESPRIT include: twobi-directional and independent communications channels to the Moon (K and S-band), refuelling subsystem for provision of Hydrazine and Xenon to the PPE, including active refuelling, a science airlock, and provisions for attachment of external payloads and equipment. Please note that economic operators from Austria (AT) will not be considered for this activity.