Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC) Draft Request for Proposal
Contract Overview
Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.
AI Contract Overview
The Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC) Draft Request for Proposal, identified by solicitation number 80JSC026R0021DRFP, is a sources-sought notice issued by NASA Johnson Space Center to gather industry feedback on the forthcoming procurement for a commercially owned and operated LEO destination intended to succeed the International Space Station. This draft solicitaton is not a request for proposals and does not obligate the government to award a contract or compensate respondents; it is specifically designed to validate the feasibility and reasonableness of requirements and promote competition ahead of the formal RFP release. The Government is seeking detailed input on the scope, which includes the end-to-end development, certification, production, and operation of a commercial LEO destination capable of supporting crewed science and exploration missions, encompassing transportation of cargo and crew, sustaining engineering, mission operations, and utilization activities through fiscal year 2042. Responses must be submitted via email to Ashley Chaves by July 24, 2026, referencing the solicitation number and using the provided CLDC Draft RFP Feedback Template, which requires specific documentation of comments tied to document sections, pages, and paragraphs. Key administrative requirements include mandatory RSVPs for the July 9, 2026, pre-proposal conference via Microsoft Teams, limited to ten participants per organization, and one-on-one meetings with government representatives scheduled from July 13–15, 2026, at Johnson Space Center Building 111, with virtual participation allowed. Attendance at these events is recommended but not required, and recording is strictly prohibited. Companies must provide their SAM Unique Entity ID, CAGE code, size/type classification, and attendee details to participate in either event, and must opt out explicitly if they do not wish to be publicly listed for teaming opportunities. The contract will be awarded under NAICS code 336414 with no set-aside, and while no formal evaluation factors or contract clauses are yet defined, NASA has indicated that future formal solicitations will be published on SAM.gov, and offerors are expected to monitor that portal for updates, amendments, and the official RFP release. Attachments including pricing templates, past performance matrices, contractor responsibility frameworks, corporate investment worksheets, and business case analysis models have been provided to guide preparatory responses, with cost and revenue estimates required on a fiscal year basis from FY2027 through FY2042, covering design
General Info
Agency
NAICS
Place of Performance
Houston, TX, USASet-Aside
Timeline
Response Deadline
Organization & Contact Information
Full Description
This is a modification to the notice entitled "Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC) Draft Request for Proposal" which was posted on July 6, 2026.
You are notified that the following changes are made:
The Draft RFP Pre-Proposal Conference Questions and Answers have been posted.
The due date for DRFP responses is extended to July 27, 2026 at 8:00am.
The location for One on Ones with Prime Contractors and United States Transportation Providers has been moved to Johnson Space Center Building 111. Parking is outside the main security gate, badging is not required for entrance in Building 111. A map of the Johnson Space Center can be found at the link below:
https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/jsc_map.pdf
As updates are made, Offerors should ensure they are viewing the most current version of the "Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC) Draft Request for Proposal" page on SAM.gov.
Offerors are responsible for monitoring this site for the release of the solicitation and any amendments. Potential offerors are responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments (if any).
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This is a modification to the notice entitled "Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC) Draft Request for Proposal" which was posted on July 6, 2026. You are notified that the following changes are made:
The document titled "01_CLDC dRFP July 2026" has been replaced with "01_CLDC dRFP July 2026r1". A minor update was made to the dRFP letter, no changes have been made to the contents of the dRFP.
The due date for responses is not extended.
Offerors are responsible for monitoring this site for the release of the solicitation and any amendments. Potential offerors are responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments (if any).
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This is a modification to the notice entitled "Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC) Draft Request for Proposal" which was posted on July 6, 2026. You are notified that the following changes are made:
The document titled "02_CLDC dSOW July 2026" has been replaced with "02_CLDC SOW July 2026 (No CUI Cover Page)."
The due date for responses is not extended.
Offerors are responsible for monitoring this site for the release of the solicitation and any amendments. Potential offerors are responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments (if any).
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THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. NO PROPOSALS ARE TO BE SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE
This notice is issued by the NASA/Johnson Space Center to post draft RFP (DRFP) to solicit responses from interested parties. This document is for information and planning purposes and to allow industry the opportunity to verify reasonableness and feasibility of the requirement, as well as promote competition.
The Commercial Low Earth Orbit Contract will acquire services for a commercially owned and operated Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination that can provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective end-to-end services to succeed the International Space Station (ISS). This will ensure NASA has a sustained human presence in LEO for Crew members to perform science and exploration. As part of this service, the Contractor(s) will design, build, and operate the Commercial LEO Destination (CLD) which covers all aspects of development and certification, including design, manufacturing, demonstration/testing, qualification, production, transportation vehicles, including operational missions (cargo/crew) and utilization activities post CLD certification.
This DRFP is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response. The Government may not respond to questions/concerns submitted. The Government will use the information to finalize the RFP as necessary.
All comments or questions must be submitted electronically via email to Ashley Chaves at jsc-cldc@mail.nasa.gov, no later than July 24, 2026 at 8:00am Central. When responding reference "80JSC026R0021 DRFP".
NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at: https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/Procurement-Ombuds-Comp-Advocate-Listing.pdf
If a solicitation is released, then it and any additional documents will be available on Sam.gov. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor this website for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments, if any.
NASA intends to publicize a listing of respondents to facilitate teaming arrangements. Should your firm desire not to be included in this listing, clearly indicate this desire in your response.
DRFP Pre-Proposal Conference:
The DRFP Pre-Proposal Conference for this solicitation will be held on Thursday, July 9, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. CT via Microsoft Teams. Attendance at the DRFP pre-proposal conference is recommended; however, attendance is neither required nor a prerequisite for proposal submission. No recordings of any kind are permitted. Participation is limited to a total of ten (10) individuals from each company/team.
Please RSVP for the Pre-Proposal Conference by Wednesday July 8, 2026, 12:00 p.m. CT by sending an email to the following address: jsc-cldc@mail.nasa.gov.
The RSVP email must include the following:
Subject Line: CLDC DRFP Pre-Proposal Conference RSVP
Full company name
Company address
SAM Unique Entity ID and Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code
Company point of contact name, phone number, and email address
Company size/type (e.g., Large Business, Small Business, Women-Owned Small Business, etc.)
Names, position descriptions, and email addresses of attendees (no more than ten (10) individuals may represent any party or team of parties)
Indication of your company’s desire to be added to the Interested Parties list, which will be publicly available on the Sam.gov.
A confirmation email will be sent to acknowledge your reservation(s) and provide further instructions.
NASA anticipates releasing the DRFP Pre-Proposal Conference charts prior to the DRFP Pre-Proposal Conference. Please continue to monitor this SAM.gov posting for updates on the release of any documents.
One-on-One Meetings:
The Government will offer one-on-one communication opportunities for Prime Offerors and Transportation Providers from Monday, July 13, 2026, through Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
These meetings will be conducted in person at the Gilruth Center with a virtual participation option. The exact meeting location will be provided to companies upon confirmation of their scheduled time slot.
Participation is limited to eight (8) representatives per company/team for in‑person attendance, with additional representatives able to join virtually.
RSVP Instructions
Companies must RSVP for the one-on-one meetings no later than 2:00 PM Central Time on Thursday, July 9, 2026, by emailing jsc-cldc@mail.nasa.gov.
The RSVP email must include:
Company name, address, primary point of contact information, and SAM Unique Entity ID
If requesting a one-on-one meeting:
Names and position titles/descriptions of up to 8 attendees
Contact information for each attendee
Requested meeting date and time
Questions regarding this notice should also be submitted to jsc-cldc@mail.nasa.gov.
To facilitate engagement with industry, NASA personnel will conduct one-on-one meetings with individual companies. These sessions will be structured as Question-and-Answer (Q&A) discussions only; formal presentations are not permitted.
Permitted Discussion Topics
The following topics may be addressed during the meetings:
The general purpose of the procurement
Publicly available information related to the CLDC acquisition including the Draft RFP
Federal procurement processes as defined by the FAR, NASA FAR Supplement (NFS), or other official policy documents
Previously released procurement-specific information
Prohibited Discussion Topics
The following topics will not be discussed:
Proprietary or confidential business information of any entity
Privacy Act–protected information (e.g., personal data of contractor employees)
Trade Secrets Act–protected information
Speculation regarding proposal expectations
Government preferences or emphasis beyond what is publicly available
Incumbent contractor performance
Additional Information
A confirmation email will be sent to acknowledge reservations and provide further instructions.
Recording of any kind is strictly prohibited during one-on-one sessions.
It is the responsibility of all potential offerors to monitor official websites for updates related to this acquisition.