Mid Atlantic Regional Spaceport V (MARS V)

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport V (MARS V) contract, identified by solicitation number 80GSFC26R0008, is a sole-source, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) award to the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (VCSFA) under statutory authority 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1) and FAR 6.103-1(b), which permit other than full and open competition due to the existence of only one responsible source. VCSFA is uniquely positioned as the sole entity with ownership and operational control of the launch infrastructure at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, including commercial orbital launch pads, mission planning capabilities, unmanned system runway services, and the exclusive FAA license for commercial launches from the site. No other organization possesses the infrastructure, technical expertise, or institutional knowledge required to fulfill the mission-critical launch support needs of NASA and other U.S. government agencies. The contract has a five-year ordering period from March 1, 2026, to February 28, 2031, with a maximum ordering value of $7,500,000 and no minimum guarantee. Task orders will be issued under the IDIQ structure, requiring VCSFA to submit proposals for each task, evaluated on labor rates, skill mix, indirect cost structure, and fee—though no formal competitive evaluation factors were established due to the non-competitive nature of the award. The place of performance is exclusively at Wallops Island, Virginia, where all launch services, hardware handling, infrastructure improvements, and mission operations are conducted. The contracting office is NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with Aaron Case serving as the contracting officer and Eric Littleton as the contracting officer’s representative. The justifications for sole-source procurement include extensive market research confirming no viable alternatives exist, with zero responses received to the public synopsis on Sam.gov, and rely on a 35-year reimbursable Space Act Agreement and prior MARS IV contract history. No formal contract clauses from FAR Part 52, packaging and marking requirements, inspection standards beyond government oversight, or offeror certifications were documented, reflecting the nature of the award as a statutory exception rather than a competitive procurement. Financial and performance reporting is required, but payment details, accounting codes, invoicing systems, and security clearance mandates are not specified in the provided documentation.