Supply of south african-made payload and integration support for g20 climate satellite mission

Submit responses electronically to [email protected] as PDF attachments (max 20MB per email). Use subject line: 'RFI/SE/011/06/2026 – South African Qualified Payload and integration support service for the G20 Satellite Mission for Environment and Climate Observation'. Deadline: 22 June 2026 at 16:00. Classified or confidential information will not be accepted. No NDAs will be signed for this RFI. SANSA may request presentations after assessment. This RFI is for information gathering only and does not guarantee future procurement.

Submit responses as PDF attachments (max 20MB per email). Include: executive summary and payload overview; compliance table against technical specifications; flight heritage or qualification evidence; delivery schedule; engineering support services description and labour tariff pricing; indicative pricing summary for hardware; IP ownership/licensing, data rights, export control declarations; additional relevant information (brochures, datasheets, interface control documents). Classified or confidential information will not be accepted.

Payload must address one or more of these application areas: characterization of aerosols and clouds; mapping of CH4, CO2, and NO2; detection/mapping of forest fires, outgoing IR/visible radiation, and cloud cover; atmospheric temperature/humidity sounding; winds/soil moisture studies; precipitation measurement. Strict limits: max mass ≤8 kg, volume ≤200×200×350 mm, interface footprint ≤200×200 mm, average power ≤30W, FOV ±15°. Required: CMOS or equivalent focal plane, LVDS/1553 Bus (or UART/I2C) data/command interface, 2-year LEO lifetime (4-year target). Orbit: 720–800 km Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbit (12:00 noon LTDN). Must confirm compatibility with spacecraft PVT accuracy (5m, 5mm/sec, 500ns). Provide thermal design, storage/operational temperature limits, data compression/storage requirements, telemetry/telecommand protocols, and antenna CAD model (if applicable).

Responses must address: technical solution concepts and specifications; compliance with technical budgets (mass, volume, power, interfaces); flight heritage or qualification status; implementation plan and timeline; risk aspects; assumptions; customer-supplied items and interfaces; engineering support services.

Pricing must include: payload equipment (hardware, accessories, mechanical interfaces, harnesses, test adapters); shipping logistics to ISRO (India); engineering labour tariffs (per hour, inclusive of overheads); estimated total engineering hours by phase (integration, testing, launch campaign, early operations); indicative travel and subsistence cost structure (international flights, accommodation, S&T, vehicle hire, airport transfers, incidental expenses). Only actual costs and hours will be claimable.

Provide pricing for payload hardware (including mechanical interfaces, harnesses, test adapters) and shipping logistics to ISRO (India). Include engineering labour tariffs (per hour, inclusive of overheads), estimated total hours per phase (integration, testing, launch campaign, early operations), and travel/subsistence cost structure (flights, accommodation, S&T, vehicle hire, etc.). Only actual costs/hours will be claimable. All costs subject to Work Authorisation (WA) process with prior approved Statement of Work and cost estimation.

Mandatory: Payload must be South African-made (designed/manufactured in SA by a SA-registered entity). Must have flight heritage (proof of successful space flight) or be fully flight-qualified with certificates of conformance (additional justification may be required). Must be deliverable within 3 months of contract signature (flight model by September 2026). Must demonstrate capacity to provide engineering support in SA and at ISRO (India) for integration, testing, pre/post-launch, and early operations. Must declare IP ownership or lawful authority to supply without third-party restrictions. Confirm no IP disputes or export/data rights restrictions. Payload must qualify as SA-made (final assembly, integration, and qualification in SA).

No contract will be awarded based on this RFI. Information gathered may inform future procurement, but SANSA reserves the right to discontinue the process at any stage without obligation. Respondents are responsible for all costs incurred in responding. SANSA will not reimburse expenses. Responses are not binding offers. All information submitted must be publicly releasable; no NDAs will be signed. If the project proceeds, ISRO will require access to payload technical specifications for integration. Work Authorisation (WA) process applies to all engineering support and travel costs, requiring prior approval and a Statement of Work.