NASA SpinSat

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center (ARC) is hereby soliciting information from potential sources for SpinSat Science.

SpinSat Overview: Experimentally measuring the effects of deep-space radiation and reduced gravity on biological and physical systems is challenging, leaving a substantial knowledge gap that poses risks to supporting life and conducting critical operations in deep space. The SpinSat spacecraft platform will bridge such gaps by providing low-cost, reliable, and frequent access to deep space for a wide variety of experiments.

A disk-shaped rotating satellite that provides artificial gravity and exposure to space radiation simultaneously, SpinSat accommodates payloads in a CubeSat form factors (with at least 48 “U” of total experiment volume), providing power, communications, and a benign thermal environment.

It is orbit-agnostic above Low Earth Orbit (LEO), enabling access to a variety of radiation environments (Van Allen belts, deep space, cis-lunar), and can simulate both Lunar and Mars surface radiation environments, for both short- and long-term experiments. Because of its versatility and prioritization of late loading for biological payloads, it is well suited to host a wide range of experiments from human tissues and organoids to microorganisms, plants, and chemical and physical systems.

For more information visit: https://www.nasa.gov/ames-studies-current/spinsat/ Requesting Input from Investigators: NASA ARC is seeking input for requirements of potential payloads to enable a spacecraft design that meets the needs of a large group of researchers as possible.

If you have a payload/experiment concept that could be accommodated on SpinSat, please provide us with a brief description of your overall objectives and science requirements, and if you are able, the requirements that your experiment will place on the platform. We ask that your response represent a specific experiment concept (i.e. not general envelope requirements); however, there is no need to provide precise experimental details, science aims, or any other competition-sensitive information.

We are primarily seeking information relevant to interfaces and capabilities of the SpinSat platform. Providing us information on your requirements now will help us better ensure that SpinSat will ultimately meet the needs of your payload.

Please respond by filling out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMY467Sl7HjorjwqW-Lgzbgpn4UyJPIrICvk2bY6I0-GS8UA/viewform Requesting Input from Hardware Providers: NASA is also interested in learning of interest and the capabilities of hardware providers who could provide payload systems to accommodate the various types of experiments that are anticipated as part of the SpinSat capability suite.

Payload providers should also provide rationale and justification for why their organization can meet the intent of the SpinSat architecture. Hardware providers, submit a response electronically to:

ARC-SpinSat@mail.nasa.gov. Please reference SpinSat RFI in any response. Submit responses no later than December 16, 2024 at 11:59pm EDT. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on SAM.gov. Interested parties are responsible for monitoring this website for the release of any solicitation or synopsis. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation.

Updates:

9/24/2024: The response date was extended to December 16, 2024.