Attachment 1: Directed Call Surface Pwr

NextSTEP-3 Appendix B: Attachment 1
Directed-Topic Call 1 – Initial Surface Power

Overview and Mission Need

This Directed-Topic Call defines the mission need, objectives, and desired outcomes to enable Initial Surface Power in support of NASA’s Moon Base Program. As NASA establishes the foundational infrastructure for the Moon Base at the lunar South Pole, continuous and reliable power is the most critical shared resource. The South Pole environment presents unique lighting challenges, including low-angle illumination, dynamic shadows, and periods of extreme cold and darkness lasting 300+ hours or more. To meet long-term power infrastructure needs, NASA requires rapid integration and demonstration of mature power systems. This topic seeks proposals for integrated power systems or critical subsystems capable of transitioning from ground-based environmental testing to a localized lunar surface demonstration no later than 2029.
Note on NextSTEP-3 Appendix A (LEIA): Offerors seeking to mature foundational power subsystems—such as Vertical Solar Array Technology (VSAT) thermal controls or electrical interfaces—from TRL 4 to 6 via ground-based simulation should submit under the NextSTEP-3 Appendix A (LEIA) solicitation. Proposals submitted to this Appendix B topic must be mature enough to bypass exploratory subsystem development and proceed to flight integration and lunar surface demonstration.

Objectives

The primary objective of this call is to integrate and demonstrate various concepts at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 6 or higher, culminating in a flight and surface demonstration. Offerors may propose fully integrated systems or highly mature sub-systems within the capability areas below. Successful demonstrations will be expected to meet or exceed the target metrics listed below.
For each concept proposed, offerors must provide validated data demonstrating how the prototype architecture can be seamlessly scaled to meet full-scale systems necessary to achieve longer-term Moon Base needs (e.g., lifetime).
2.1

Power Generation

Deployable power generation optimized for the South Pole lighting environment.

Directed-Topic Call #1 Initial Surface Power
2.1.1

Target Metric: Generation and Deployment

Demonstrate successful deployment and continuous power generation sufficient for providing a minimum of 1-2 kW up to 5-10 kW at 120 Vdc to receiver payloads in South Pole environment.
Forward-Compatibility Note: While initial 2029 flight demonstrations require 120 Vdc