WASHINGTON — The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency published a request for information on June 12 on the government contracting platform Sam.gov. The request seeks industry solutions for a Rapid Reconstitution of Space Capabilities effort.

The agency is soliciting industry proposals in areas such as space vehicles, satellite payloads, launch vehicles, integration, and operational concepts. The request for information states, "The end goal is to develop and deploy effective response mechanisms to rapidly restore critical services to minimum levels or higher, on tactical timelines of hours to weeks, in response to demand surge needs, lost assets resulting from potential adversaries’ anti-satellite weapons engagements, or orbital debris collisions."

The request for information lists specific topics of interest, including spacecraft scalability, operations in very low-Earth orbit, supply chain optimization, alternative positioning navigation and timing capabilities, rapid satellite manufacturing, and reconfigurable satellites. It also notes that rapid space capability reconstitution involves technical, logistical, contractual, and regulatory challenges.

The request states that "The fixed capacity of launch vehicles and the relatively limited frequency of launches across multiple launch providers drive the need for greater functionality, resiliency, and flexibility in space assets." It adds, "This requires minimizing spacecraft assembly, launch, and deployment time while maximizing the capabilities they provide." Additionally, the agency indicated that "Reconstitution solutions must consider existing architecture integration." The request text further states that "Possible solutions could be realized with reconfigurable, software-defined, multifunctional, and multi-mission payloads, as well as proliferated/mesh architecture and rapid on-orbit deployment concepts." Industry responses to the request for information are due by July 8.