ESA Open Invitation to Tender AO10438
Open Date: 08/07/2020
Closing Date: 17/08/2020 13:00:00

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 20.1TF.04
Prog. Ref.: LEOCommPartE3P Per2;PP-Prep Act 4.0.1
Budget Ref.: E/0137-02Q – LEOCommPartE3P Per2;E/0533-13A – PP-Prep Act 4.0.1
Special Prov.: AT+BE+CZ+DK+FR+DE+GB+GR+HU+IE+IT+LU+NL+NO+PL+PT+RO+ES+SE+CH+CA+SI
Tender Type: C
Price Range: > 500 KEURO
Products: Satellites & Probes / RF / Microwave Communication (Platform and Payloads) / Repeaters and Transceivers / Bent-pipe repeaters, regenarative transponders, … / Ground Segment / Mission Operations / Control Centre general equipment / Workstations, video signal distribution systems, wall screens, … / Ground Segment / Ground Station / Antennas / Structure & Thermal, Servo / Mechanics, Reflectors, feeds and diplexers, Antenna Control Units (ACUs), Drive Systems, … / Ground Segment / Ground Station / Baseband equipment / Telemetry and Telecommand equipment, Tracking, Ranging and Doppler measurement equipment, CODECS, … / Ground Segment / Mission Operations / Mission Control / Flight Dynamics Systems and Mission Analysis
Technology Domains: RF Systems, Payloads and Technologies / Telecommunication Systems/Subsystems / Telecom System Engineering Tools / RF Systems, Payloads and Technologies / Radio Navigation Systems/Subsystems / Navigation System Tools / System Design & Verification / Mission and System Specification / Requirement Engineering / System Design & Verification / System Analysis and Design / Design and Simulation / Ground Station Systems and Networks / Ground Station System / Ground TT&C and Payload Data Reception Antenna Systems
Establishment: ECSAT
Directorate: Directorate Telecom & Integrated Applica
Department: Telecom Technologies,Product&Systems Dep
Division: Future Projects Division
Contract Officer: Mezzadri, Monica
Industrial Policy Measure: N/A – Not apply
Last Update Date: 09/07/2020
Update Reason: Loaded a new Clarification(English version)

The interest in the Moon exploration has substantially grown in recent years, positioning the Moon as an attractive testbed to develop the required technologies and capabilities for human Deep Space exploration. Communication and navigation capabilities are considered essential for sustained lunar exploration. However, in spite of the wide variety of missions planned for the Moon, a global lunar communication and navigation infrastructure is not available yet. The availability of a lunar communications and navigation infrastructure would enable missions to be designed more cost-effectively, enable new mission concepts and stimulate new business models, thus encouraging further private investment. A joint initiative by the Telecommunications and Integrated Applications (TIA), Human and Robotic Exploration (HRE), and Navigation (NAV) directorates is set to investigate the establishment of European Lunar Communications and Navigation Services (LCNS) and position European industry in the value chain of lunar communications and navigation services. This Tender represents Stage-1 of the two stages procurements process of the Phase A/B1 studies of the Lunar Communications and Navigation Services (LCNS). In this stage-1, after issuing a Call for Expression of Interest (CFI) and receiving the Outline Proposals, the agency will identify Candidate(s) eligible to participate in the following stage of the Tender. The Agency aims at procuring up to two parallel competitive studies, with the following overall objectives that will be further detailed during the Stage-2ITT: – To define a model for the provision of Lunar Communications and Navigation Services; – To consolidate LCNS mission requirements and the user requirements, the commercial and business requirements, the technical/programmatic constraints as well as the overall mission constraints; – To identify the critical technologies and define the associated LCNS Technology Development Plan; – To consolidate a mission architecture and system design compliant with the LCNS requirements; – To demonstrate the technical and programmatic feasibility of the mission concept and its requirements, architecture and design including the associated cost and schedule targets; – To define the partnership approach and model together with the associated Service Level Agreement (SLA) for the Agencys and associated partner missions; – To define a plan for the commercialisation of services to third parties; – To establish theSystem Development Plan for the implementation phase (B2/C/D/E1) including the candidate partnership models.