Frequently asked questions – Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program
Should you have any questions regarding Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP), contact us at paelexploration-explorationleap@asc-csa.gc.ca. Please note that your questions will be answered in this section and will be available to all.
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How much money is allocated to LEAP?
LEAP has a total budget of $150 million over five years to support technology development, in-space demonstration and science missions in lunar orbit, on the Moon's surface, and beyond. The program will have a focus on artificial intelligence, robotics and health initiatives.
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What is the duration of the program?
Funding for LEAP has been allocated for five years, up to fiscal year –.
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Where can I find the funding opportunities for LEAP?
All opportunities, contracts, contributions and grants, including those related to LEAP, are available on the Canadian Space Agency's (CSA) website.
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I submitted an idea to the CSA's Call for ideas in spring . How did you use it?
The CSA sent out a Call for ideas to help plan for future lunar exploration activities and gauge industry's and academia's interest and capabilities. All the ideas submitted were considered and categorized to create LEAP's portfolio of activities.
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When and where will the contributions awarded under the LEAP Capability Demonstration AO be disclosed?
All CSA grants and contribution awards are disclosed on the Open Government website. The disclosure is made in the quarter following the one in which the contribution is awarded.
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What kind of rover will the CSA be looking for?
The rover will be approximately 24 kg, capable of surviving at least one lunar day, one lunar night and another lunar day, which is the equivalent of 42 days on Earth. This rover will carry a minimum of 2 scientific payloads totalling 6 kg, one of which would be an American scientific payload sponsored by NASA. The goal is to collect engineering data on rovers in the harsh lunar environment and to collect scientific data on the lunar surface or subsurface, including in permanently shadowed regions (PSR).
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When is the CSA looking to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for the rover?
Currently, the CSA plans to haveissue an RFP issued by the end of .