- Type
- Request for Information
- Dates
- Close
- Sep 08, 2026
- Release
- Aug 11, 2026
- 26 MBRFI NOIs Due
- Sep 08, 2026
- Title
- Request for Information (RFI): What can we learn about human health and performance from astronauts living and working on a Moon Base?
- Number
- NNJ26ZSA003L
- Nois Due
- Sep 08, 2026
- Pdf Text
- Request for Information (RFI): What can we learn about human health and
performance from astronauts living and working on a Moon Base?
Solicitation Number: NNJ26ZSA003L
Release Date: August 11, 2026
Response Date: September 8, 2026
Background:
After more than 50 years, the Artemis II mission has re-ignited the global interest in
human spaceflight and successfully demonstrated that the Moon is still well within our
reach. For the first time since the Apollo Program, the NASA Artemis Program will
return astronauts to the surface of the Moon – this time to stay. Artemis IV will be the
first missions to include a short surface stay on the Moon and subsequent missions will
increasingly focus on a sustained human presence on the Moon. It remains unclear
what long term physiological and psychological adaptations may occur in the lunar
gravity environment and how these changes could influence both operational
performance on the Moon and potential long-term health implications after returning to
Earth.
The development of humanity’s first Moon Base and related infrastructures is a key
objective within NASA’s framework. This objective will not only provide new
opportunities to investigate and learn how living and working on the Moon affects
human physiology, psychology, and risks to astronaut health but also will help prepare
us for permanent lunar presence and future Mars exploration missions.
Information Requested: The NASA Human Research Program (HRP) is requesting
information on operationally relevant research ideas, new questions that may arise, and
challenges to address, that relate to human health and performance and mitigating
astronaut risks during a sustained human presence on the Moon.
Appropriate responses to this RFI should address:
1 What human health questions should be addressed using data from astronauts
working and living on the Moon surface for short durations (approximately 1 week
to 1 month)?
2 What human health and performance information should be collected during the
early Moon Base development missions? Would acquiring the information require
special resources, dedicated astronaut time, or cause interruption of nominal
operations? If yes, how would these data contribute to understanding human
health risks and/or developing risk mitigation strategies?
3 What resources (e.g. technology, equipment, capabilities) would be desirable to
have on a Moon Base to enhance human research and support astronaut risk
characterization and mitigation?
4 What human health questions and risk mitigations could be addressed with data
from uncrewed lunar surface missions? Which payload(s) to collect these data
might be available to fly in the near future?
The Human Research Program:
The Human Research Program (HRP) conducts research and develops evidence‑based
strategies to mitigate the highest‑priority risks to astronaut health and performance
during human exploration missions. HRP’s goal is to deliver the countermeasures,
knowledge, technologies, and tools needed to enable safe, reliable, and productive
human spaceflight while preserving astronaut health throughout their careers and
beyond. These objectives encompass both mission success and long‑term human
health and performance.
The Human Research Program (HRP) defines and tracks human system risks in detail
on the HRP website (https://www.nasa.gov/hrp/risks/). This website also provides
access to the associated Evidence Reports for each risk area. To guide research and
risk mitigation activities, HRP maintains Risk Approach Plans (RAPs) that identify
current knowledge gaps and outline the strategic path for reducing human health and
performance risks for future exploration missions.
The RAPs serve as HRP’s integrated research roadmap through the exploration
mission timeframe, providing a structured approach for addressing human system risks
on missions of extended duration. The current compilation of RAPs is available here:
https://go.nasa.gov/hrp-rap
Resources:
Ongoing HRP Research
https://www.nasa.gov/hrp/ongoing-hrp-research/
Current medical requirements
https://nlsp.nasa.gov/explore/home/lsda_medical_operations
Data from previous spaceflight missions (NASA Life Sciences Portal)
https://www.nasa.gov/hrp/nlsp/
NASA’s Moon Base
https://www.nasa.gov/moonbase/
Purpose of this RFI:
The information obtained will be used by NASA for planning and acquisition strategy
development. NASA will use the information obtained through this RFI on a non-
attribution basis. Providing data and information that is limited or restricted for use by
NASA for that purpose would be of very little value and such restricted/limited
data/information is not solicited. No information or questions received will be posted to
any website or public access location. NASA may respond to the individual responses.
The Government does not intend to grant an award on the basis of this RFI or to
otherwise pay for the information solicited. Later participation in the interdisciplinary
team is not guaranteed, nor is compensation for any later participation. As stipulated in
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not
considered offers, shall not be used as a proposal, and cannot be accepted by the
Government to form a binding contract. Input shall be compliant with all legal and
regulatory requirements concerning limitations on export-controlled items. To the full
extent that it is protected pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act and other laws and
regulations, information identified by a respondent as "Proprietary or Confidential" will
be kept confidential. However, no proprietary information should be provided in
response to this RFI. Follow-up inquiries regarding future intentions or the status of
information provided will not be answered. Promising ideas may be used to formulate
future directions for HRP.
Response Instructions:
Responses must be submitted electronically using the NSPIRES website
(https://nspires.nasaprs.com). It is important to note that some of the functionality of the
NSPIRES system uses terminology that does not exactly track to the collection of RFI
data. For instance, when submitting responses to this RFI, use of the term “proposals”
or “NOIs” in these instructions does not mean that NASA is inviting proposals or offers
in response to this RFI. All respondents are required to first register with NSPIRES and
are urged to access this site well in advance of the RFI due date to familiarize
themselves with its structure and enter the requested identifier information.
Requests for assistance in accessing and/or using the NSPIRES website should be
submitted by E-mail to nspireshelp@nasaprs.com or by telephone to (202) 479-9376
Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM Eastern Time. FAQs on NSPIRES may be
accessed through the Proposal Online Help site at
https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/help.do. Tutorials of NSPIRES are available at
https://nspires.nasaprs.com/tutorials/index.html. This data site is secure, and all
information entered is strictly for NASA use only. Only one person may be nominated in
each response.
Responses to this RFI shall be submitted no later than the time and date provided
above. Responses must be submitted using the “Notice of Intent (NOI)” module within
the NSPIRES system.
To initiate an RFI Response:
· Log in using your NSPIRES username and password.
· Access Proposals/NOIs in the NSPIRES Options Page.
o Click on the “Create NOI” button on the right-hand corner of the screen.
o Select “Request for Information (RFI): What can we learn about human
health and performance from astronauts living and working on a Moon
Base?”
· Follow the step-by-step instructions provided in NSPIRES to complete your RFI.
The following three elements are mandatory for this RFI submission.
· Utilize the “Summary” element of the RFI to provide a concise response limited to
4000 characters
· Use the “Program Specific Data” questions to select the HRP Element (area of
interest) to review the response. Areas of interest include:
o Human Factors and Behavioral Performance (HFBP)
o Human Health Countermeasures (HHC)
o Space Radiation (SR)
· Use the “Program Specific Data” questions to respond to each of the following
questions (if you have no response to a particular question, use “None noted”). It
is recommended to draft your responses to each question offline and copy
answers into the response fields to avoid system timeouts.
Note that response fields are limited to 4000 characters.
No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. When a
solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the NASA Acquisition Internet Service.
Any solicitation will be posted on the same site where you accessed this RFI.
Point of contact:
NASA Human Research Program Chief Scientist
js-hrp-chief-science-office@mail.nasa.gov
- Documents
- Url
- https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/viewrepositorydocument?cmdocumentid=1157259&solicitationId={D21A3928-772C-B7B4-0541-D6217AE446C9}&viewSolicitationDocument=1
- Title
- Request for Information (RFI): What can we learn about human health and performance from astronauts living and working on a Moon Base?
- Description
- - Current compilation of Risk Approach Plans (RAPs) **Link:** [See Details](https://go.nasa.gov/hrp-rap)
- Directorate
- Space Operations Mission Directorate
- File Excerpt
- Request for Information (RFI): What can we learn about human health and performance from astronauts living and working on a Moon Base? Solicitation Number: NNJ26ZSA003L Release Date: August 11, 2026 Response Date: September 8, 2026 Background: After more than 50 years, the Artemis II mission has re-ignited the global interest in human spaceflight and successfully demonstrated that the Moon is still well within our reach. For the first time since the Apollo Program, the NASA Artemis Program will return astronauts to the surface of the Moon – this time to stay. Artemis IV will be the first missions to include a short surface stay on the Moon and subsequent missions will increasingly focus on a sustained human presence on the Moon.
- Release Date
- Aug 11, 2026
- Contact Email
- nspireshelp@nasaprs.com
- Contact Phone
- (202) 479-9376
NASAIssuing agency·Washington, DC·via a public procurement portal