1. Introduction

Canada's Innovation and Skills Plan is focused on three priority areas to spur innovation: People, Technologies, and Companies. Working with its citizens, academic institutions and industry, the Government of Canada (GoC) will encourage innovation by studying the development potential of new, emerging, cutting-edge space exploration technologies, products and services that could provide a critical contribution to international space exploration initiatives in the lunar orbit and on the surface of the Moon (cislunar space) and eventually reaching Mars.

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), on behalf of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), is soliciting information under this Request for Information (RFI) to determine whether or not there are interested and available Canadian sources capable of providing the technologies, systems or products and services required for robotics and human space exploration identified in this solicitation.

This document and the responses received are for information and planning purposes only. This RFI provides industry, academia and entrepreneurs the opportunity to submit conceptual ideas regarding potential Canadian contributions to future robotics and human space exploration initiatives in the cislunar vicinity including the Deep Space Gateway (DSG) and lunar surface exploration.

2. Background

While the International Space Station (ISS) will soon celebrate its 17th anniversary orbiting the Earth, the partners (National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), European Space Agency (ESA), Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) and CSA) are currently planning for the next steps in human space exploration and to extend human presence beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The operational concept being considered as a 'next step' will include as a minimum, a deep-space crew and cargo transportation system and a crew-capable spacecraft located on orbit in the vicinity of the moon (i.e., 'cislunar'). This spacecraft will act as a 'Gateway' for future human exploration initiatives both to/from the lunar surface and towards Mars. It may also serve as a platform for collecting resources returned from robotic sample return missions and Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) resource prospecting missions.

Although not yet officially approved as an internationally coordinated effort, steps are being taken to utilize the ISS as a platform to test the technologies necessary for long duration deep space travel and to foster commercial opportunities in LEO in preparation for government attention towards new and progressive exploration goals and objectives. The steps towards an eventual human mission to the surface of Mars will be incremental and will likely include many nations. As a partner in the ISS program, Canada is well positioned to contribute to the next steps of human space exploration in a manner that is critical, visible, affordable and beneficial to its citizens.

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