Review of up to 5 spacecraft… U.S. Department of the Air Force request for information closes November 25

The U.S. Department of the Air Force has issued a Request for Information (RFI) on up to five spacecraft for operations in cislunar space, the region between Earth and the Moon, with industry responses due November 25. The RFI, released November 3, is a market-research step to shape potential procurement options and does not yet commit the government to a purchase or to deploying assets around the Moon. The envisioned concept involves government-provided payloads hosted on each spacecraft, though payload types and specific missions remain undisclosed. The inquiry extends beyond bus manufacturing to include spacecraft-payload integration and testing, mission management, and telemetry and command. The notice matters as an early signal of demand for commercial cislunar capabilities, and the next thing to watch is industry response ahead of the November 25 deadline and whether it leads to a formal acquisition program.