RFI Identify Existing Thermal-Vacuum Facilities in Texas

The Texas Space Commission is issuing Request for Information RFI-358-26-01 to identify existing thermal-vacuum (TVAC) chamber facilities within Texas and evaluate the potential for upgrading them into commercially available, NASA-class environmental verification facilities. The primary objective is to support the certification and environmental qualification of large spacecraft, specifically those with dimensions up to 25 feet in diameter and 45 feet in height. The commission is seeking information on existing chamber assets, technical readiness, and the capabilities of organizations to perform spaceflight hardware development, payload verification, subsystem testing, and mission-readiness activities. This is a nonbinding market research effort and does not constitute a current funding opportunity, grant, or contract commitment. Respondents must provide documentary evidence of prior NASA environmental verification experience and describe their capabilities regarding cleanroom assembly, instrumentation, and objective acceptance testing for parameters such as pressure, leak rate, and temperature stability. Submissions must align with standards including GSFC-STD-7000, MIL-STD-1540, and MIL-HDBK-340. Responses are due by September 11, 2026, and must be submitted as a searchable PDF containing five volumes, with a combined narrative limit of forty pages. All inquiries and submissions must be directed to the designated email contact, as telephone inquiries are prohibited.