CAPACITY ON A UHF-CAPABLE ON-ORBIT MEO SATELLITE
Subject: CAPACITY ON A UHF-CAPABLE ON-ORBIT MEO SATELLITESolicitation Number: RFI-RJZX-2026-RAPIDNotice Type: SRCSGTNAICS: 517410Notice Published: 07-24-26Response Due: 08-10-26Agency: Department of the Air ForceOffice: FA9453 AFRL RVKContact: Paola Sanchez-Medina This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Office Address: KIRTLAND AFB, NM 87117Place of Performance: Albuquerque, NM 87120Related Notices:
Click for official SAM (FBO) notice, additional information, and accompanying attachments
This Request for Information (RFI) is focused on obtaining access to bandwidth carried by a commercially owned, commercially operated UHF-capable on-orbit MEO satellite for use in a near-term experimental campaign to: Characterize spectrum, waveform, and user equipment operation with a MEO UHF system Demonstrate interoperability between a potential future MEO UHF system and the existing GEO constellation Inform a time-sequenced pathway to augment or replace the GEO UHF system with a MEO capability The offeror should consider technology solutions that prioritize existing space vehicle, payload and communications link capabilities to provide on-orbit service immediately or as soon as possible. An Initial Launch Capability (ILC) by 2030 is potentially useful, but innovative approaches leading to earlier on-orbit capability are strongly desired. The Government recognizes that this initial prototype may not be fully representative of a final, future architecture, but rather represents an initial step to explore providing UHF services from MEO. AMENDMENT 1 (23 Jul 2026) The following changes are hereby made to the above announcement: Corrects the uplink and downlink frequency bands in Section 4.0.a.i The attachment entitled "pMEO Demo Request for Information_FINAL 10 Jul 26" is removed in its entirety and replaced with "pMEO Demo Request for Information_AMEND1 23 Jul 26". All other RFI content and due dates remain unchanged. Refer to the attachment entitled "pMEO Demo Request for Information_AMEND1 23 Jul 26" for full details.