NASA officials said Tuesday the agency is seeking new ideas for lunar exploration activities that could be pursued as part of the agency's long-term exploration goals.
NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate issued the request for proposals, saying the agency wants "input from individuals and organizations covering a broad range of disciplines, from lunar science activities, to operational activities and technology research efforts that could be done on the Moon to assist in preparing for future human missions to Mars and beyond."
In a statement, NASA said the goal is to collect a wide variety of perspectives on future human and robotic activities on the Moon. Then, eventually, the agency would develop a "multidisciplinary lunar exploration strategy" using the information it has collected from the respondents, as well as from a variety of other sources.
The solicitation asks for ideas – expressed in English – for "achievable lunar exploration objectives, over a 25 year horizon," which could address one or more of the following key elements of the agency's space-exploration strategy:
Lunar exploration activities that are an integral part of a broader exploration strategy that encompasses Mars and other destinations;
Lunar robotic activities that collect key strategic information and develop key capabilities to enable and enhance human exploration;
Lunar activities that enable humans to live and work productively on the moon, including developing and using lunar resources;
Activities that enable opportunities for international collaboration through merging of common interests in respective strategic plans for exploration;
Characterization of opportunities for science investigations on the moon;
Activities that can enable lunar commerce, and
Activities that can engage the general public in lunar exploration.
NASA said applicants should document each objective by providing the information requested in the Exploration Strategy Product document posted on the Request For Information Web site.
That information includes a summary defining the objective, any dependencies it has on other objectives, architecture and operations assumptions associated with meeting the objective, intermediate milestones, and associated key decision points.
In cases where the submission identifies multiple objectives, the applicant can provide additional information regarding the relative timeframe required for the various objectives and the general strategic themes that they represent.
Applicants also may provide some indication of the issues, constraints and enablers in areas such as technology, policy, law or program planning.
NASA said all responses must be consistent with generally accepted laws of physics. The agency welcomes innovative ideas, but they should be consistent with technological advances that reasonably could be within a 25 year horizon.
The agency wants all responses delivered electronically by completing and submitting the Exploration Strategy Product form located on the RFI web site. Applicants will receive electronic notification of a successful upload. All submissions must be received by May 12, 2006, by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
