Request For Information: Ground-based Electro-Optical Space Domain Awareness Sensor

Description

The UK Government wishes to re-establish a ground based Electro-Optical (EO) sensor capability to generate Space Domain Awareness (SDA) for UK strategic space assets in the Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) regime. The intent is for the sensor to be hosted on a UK Military base in Cyprus. The sensor will be capable of providing resident space object (RSO) tracking and potentially characterisation or neighbourhood watch functions for the GEO orbital regime. It will be a passive (non-emitting) Electro-Optical/Infra-red sensor, provided with a mount, forming a system that can be remotely operated. It will be placed within an existing dome that will be capable of rotating at a speed of no less than 10 degrees per second (averaged over a 180-degree rotation). The dome is enclosed and can fully rotate in azimuth. The sky is observed through an optically flat glass window set within a shutter system that can vary in altitude from 10 degrees to the zenith. Potential providers are requested to fill in the attached Request For Information (RFI) questionnaire. If responding yes to any of the questions and where appropriate, all responders are requested to provide indicative Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) costs for the services or products under consideration. Potential providers are also encouraged to offer information that shows how they can meet some of these requirements even if they are not specifically covered by the questions posed, to cater for any alternative or emerging methodologies that the user may be unaware of. Please note, this is NOT a call for competition. However, if you are interested in hearing more about this opportunity and/or think that you can meet some/all of the requirements, please submit your information via email to commercial@ukspaceagency.gov.uk (quoting reference "UKSAC23_0014 RFI Response" in the subject line) by 5pm BST on Friday 5th May 2023.