The US Department of the Air Force has issued a Request for Information regarding a potential Cislunar Space System. The military is exploring the deployment of a constellation consisting of up to five satellites around the Moon to support mission needs by late 2029.
These initial five spacecraft are intended to serve as seed vehicles for a future, larger proliferated constellation. The government plans to award up to five firm fixed-price contracts for preliminary design studies based on the market information gathered through this RFI.
Responses to the RFI are due by November 24. While the document does not commit the military to future contracts, officials aim to meet a 2029 operational goal, which suggests potential deal signings in 2027 given standard development cycles.
The military's interest in the lunar region follows a shift in policy regarding space as a warfighting domain. The proposed satellites would perform functions similar to those in Earth orbit, including surveillance, navigation, communications, and tracking objects in cislunar space.
The Pentagon is already pursuing other lunar projects, such as the Oracle-Mobility mission, which is scheduled to launch in mid-2027 with a budget of $75 million. A second mission, Oracle-Prime, is expected to be ready for launch by the end of 2027.
