This Combined Synopsis/Solicitation opportunity from National Aeronautics And Space Administration was posted on August 6, 2026. The submission period has ended. Browse the details below for market research, or find similar active opportunities.

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2026 Astrophysics Small Explorer (APSMEX)

Closed

NNH26ZDA011OFederal

Submission Closed09/10/2026, 03:59:00 AM UTC

Contract Overview

Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.

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NAICS: 54171

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Federal

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Solicitation # FA8650-22-S-5002

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FA8650 USAF Afmc Afrl Pzl Afrl/pzl

POSTED

8 months ago

DEADLINE

in almost 2 years

AI Contract Overview

NASA Headquarters is soliciting Principal Investigator-led space science investigations for the 2026 Astrophysics Small Explorer (APSMEX) program under solicitation number NNH26ZDA011O. The program seeks proposals that address fundamental science goals, including the origin and destiny of the universe, the evolution of galaxies, stars, and planets, and the discovery of potentially habitable planets around other stars. NASA intends to select one investigation proposal through a single-step competitive process to proceed into a combined Phase A and B. The solicitation is open to various U.S. and non-U.S. organizations, though participation is subject to specific restrictions, including those regarding China. Key milestones include a preproposal conference on June 30, 2026, and a mandatory Notice of Intent due July 21, 2026. The final proposal deadline is September 9, 2026. Amendment #1, released on August 6, 2026, provided revised final text but did not change the proposal due date. All official documentation, including the full Announcement of Opportunity and Q&A documents, is hosted on the NSPIRES portal. Interested parties should direct all inquiries to Daniel Moses, Hannah Jang-Condell, and Omar Torres using the subject line APSMEX26.

General Info

NASA seeks 2026 astrophysics explorer proposals due Sept 10, 2026, via NSPIRES with mandatory Notice of Intent and virtual conference.

Agency

National Aeronautics And Space Administration → NASA Headquarters

NAICS

54171

Place of Performance

Set-Aside

NONE

Documents

Astrophysics Explorers Program 2026 Small Explorer (SMEX) Solicitation Released

presolicitation

High

NASA Astrophysics Explorers Program 2026 Small Explorer AO Amendment #1

amendment

High

AI Contract Breakdown

Uniform Contract Format

Timeline

1 update

PhaseClosed

PostedJun 9

Combined Synopsis

Notice updatedAug 6

The notice description changed.

Response DeadlineSep 10

Deadline has passed

Submission Closed

09/10/2026, 03:59:00 AM UTC

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Organization & Contact Information

AgencyNational Aeronautics And Space Administration → NASA Headquarters

Contacts2 people available

OfficeWASHINGTON, DC, 20546, USA

Organization / AgencyNational Aeronautics And Space Administration → NASA Headquarters

Office AddressWASHINGTON, DC, 20546, USA

Contacts

Daniel Moses APSMEX26 Lead Program Scientist

contact@example.gov

Omar Torres APSMEX26 Lead Acquisition Manager

contact@example.gov

Full Description

Amendment #1: This SAM.gov update 1) announces the release of revised final text for the “Astrophysics Explorers Program 2026 Small Explorer (SMEX)” AO and 2) adds a copy of the text of an August 2026 NSPIRES e-mail sent to SMD List Serv subscribers. Please open and carefully review the attachment named “6AugustEmail.pdf” under the Attachments/Links section of this notice. The proposal due date remains unchanged. For complete details, visit the link named “Final Ful Text NNH26ZDA011O” under the Attachments/Links section of this notice. End of Amendment #1.

On or after this SAM.gov notice, the final text for the Announcement of Opportunity (AO) 2026 Astrophysics Small Explorer (APSMEX) will be available for download from the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) at https://nspires.nasaprs.com. Click on the word “Solicitations” at the top of the NSPIRES landing page and then on the next page enter the number “NNH26ZDA011O” in the search box or use the direct URL provided below.

This “Description” is not a complete or verbatim summary of the AO. It is the responsibility interested parties to visit and monitor regularly the two listed internet sites (links) for any amendments or other updates.

Please also open and carefully read the attached PDF file named “9JuneEmail.pdf”. The 9JuneEmail attachment is copy of the text that NSPIRES sent to Science Mission Directorate (SMD) List Serv subscribers and includes other and earlier, important dates such as for the submission of a MANDATORY Notice of Intent (NOI) and a virtual Preproposal conference that are prior to the listed Date Offers Due.

After reading the full AO on NSPIRES, please address any comments and questions only via email to both the primary and alternative points of contact listed and use " APSMEX26” in the subject line.