This Solicitation opportunity from National Aeronautics And Space Administration was posted on May 4, 2026. The submission period has ended. Browse the details below for market research, or find similar active opportunities.
NASA Launch Services II (NLS II) 2026 On-Ramp
Contract Overview
Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.
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AI Contract Overview
The NASA Launch Services II (NLS II) contract is an Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) procurement with a twenty-year lifecycle beginning from its effective date, extending through December 31, 2032, and featuring an on-ramp provision allowing new launch service providers to join annually or as announced. The contract is awarded to qualified domestic providers including United Launch Services, LLC, Northrop Grumman Space Systems, Space Exploration Technologies, and Blue Origin, and is structured to support NASA’s risk category 2 and 3 missions requiring the capability to deliver a minimum 250-kilogram payload to a 200-kilometer orbit at a 28.5-degree inclination. All offerors must be AS9100 certified by the award date and comply with NASA’s launch risk mitigation policies as outlined in NASA Policy Directive 8610.7D. The current on-ramp solicitation, numbered RFP10-99-0021-Rev_T, has a proposal deadline of May 15, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. local time, with questions due by March 20, 2026. Proposals must be submitted electronically via a designated Box portal and confirmed by email to the Contracting Officer, and must be signed by an authorized company official with a firm offer lasting 180 days. The contract requires adherence to strict packaging and preservation standards, including controlled environments using gaseous nitrogen, compliance with MIL-PRF-27401F and ISO 14644-1 Class 8 cleanroom requirements, and materials selection guided by NASA RP-1124 to mitigate outgassing. All contractors must comply with FAR clauses including 52.222-90 addressing DEI discrimination, 52.240-90 on security prohibitions, and 52.222-50 on combating human trafficking, along with NFS-specific clauses such as the cross-waiver of liability for non-ISS space activities. The evaluation process is based on three primary factors—Technical Acceptability, Past Performance, and Price—with technical proposals judged against an acceptable/unacceptable standard, and the award will be made using a best-value trade-off approach, not a lowest-price, technically acceptable model. Contract administration includes inspection and acceptance performed by the Government before and after launch,
General Info
Agency
Contract Value
$1NAICS
Place of Performance
Merritt Island, FL, USASet-Aside
Awardee
Award Issued Date
Timeline
Submission Closed
Organization & Contact Information
Full Description
The NASA Launch Services (NLS) II Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued on September 4, 2009 and remains open for a period of twenty years from the effective date through the use of an innovative on-ramp provision found in Section C, Clause 2.0. The NLS II contract’s ordering period remains valid through December 31, 2032. The RFP has resulted in the award of Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) task order contracts to United Launch Services, LLC., Northrop Grumman Space Systems, Space Exploration Technologies, and Blue Origin. On or about each August during the life of the solicitation, or at any other time established via synopsis, the Government will accept proposals from new launch service providers for IDIQ contracts and proposals from existing IDIQ contractors for additional launch services.
Launch services proposed under the NLS II solicitation shall only include launch vehicles capable of being certified to risk mitigation Category 2 and 3 in accordance with NASA Policy Directive 8610.7D, Launch Services Risk Mitigation Policy for NASA-Owned and/or NASA-Sponsored Payloads/Missions. These launch services, at a minimum, shall be capable of delivering a 250kg payload to orbit at an altitude of 200km and a launch inclination of 28.5 degrees. A complete set of minimum contract requirements will be set forth in Attachment E3, Paragraph 1.0 of the NLS II RFP when released. Specifically, in addition to the launch vehicle requirements described above, offerors must be domestic launch service providers and must be AS9100 certified by the date of contract award.
The time and date required for receipt of proposals is on or before close of business, 4:30 p.m. local time, May 15, 2026. All questions should be submitted via email to the Contracting Officer on or before close of business, 4:30 p.m. local time, March 20, 2026.
Your proposal must be signed by an official of the company who is authorized to bind the company. Your proposal must also contain a statement that the offer is firm for a period of 180 days from the closing date indicated above. You must provide the company name and complete address (including street, city, state, and zip code) and the Data Universal Numbering System number applicable to that name and address.
The RFP does not commit the Government to award a contract nor does it obligate the Government to pay for any cost incurred in the preparation and submittal of proposals in anticipation of a contract. The Government reserves the right to reject any and all proposals should such action be in the best interest of the Government.
An ombudsman has been appointed in accordance with NFS 1852.215-84.
The proposal is to be dropped into the following Box Link: (https://nasagov.app.box.com/f/90320d679507450fb47874724c42be34) and a email sent to the Contracting Officer, Rachel Edwards at Rachel.t.edwards@nasa.gov, to verify submission.
Amendment 1: The questions and answers have been attached. Additionally, we have added a MS Word copy of the RFP with the tracked changes that resulted from the questions, and a copy of the LSP-PD-120.05 Please also note that the proposal due date has changed to 4:30 p.m. local time, May 15, 2026.
Amendment 2: Executive Order (E.O.) 14398, titled 'Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors,' requires the addition of FAR Clause 52.222-90 to the solicitation. No other changes were made to the solicitation.
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