RAPID III Spacecraft Acquisition (RAPID III)
Ended Master IDIQ Awarded
- Federal agency
-
Goddard Space Center
- Awardees
- 12
- Task orders
- 32
- Obligated
- $1,429,925,192
Vehicle facts
- Opportunity
-
- NNG10207304RREV2, NNG10207304R Solicitation numbers
- Agency
-
- Goddard Space Center National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Combined task order value
-
- $1,463,073,608 Current, with exercised options
- $1,473,286,560 Potential, with all options
- Last date to order 100% complete
- Shared ceiling 36% used
- $4,000,000,000.00
- Also known as
-
- RAPID 3
IDV award and task order details come from SAM.gov/FPDS.
About this vehicle
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center awarded RAPID III, a multiple-award IDIQ for satellite bus core systems, spacecraft integration, test, launch support, and on-orbit operations, with a last ordering date of March 31, 2020. The vehicle is no longer active—ordering closed over six years ago—and has been succeeded by RAPID IV, awarded September 1, 2020.
The vehicle contracted for complete spacecraft design, development, and deployment across civil Earth science and weather missions. Awarded task orders span ICESat-2, JPSS-1 and JPSS-2 spacecraft, Landsat 9, Space Weather Follow-On at Lagrange Point 1 (SWFO-L1), and related accommodation and conceptual studies. The most significant orders include JPSS-1 spacecraft at $365.7 million, JPSS-2 spacecraft at $606.8 million potential value with $575.3 million obligated, ICESat-2 core spacecraft at $209.3 million potential value with $208.2 million obligated, and Landsat 9 core spacecraft at $168.1 million.
Thirty-two task orders were placed over ten years. The most recent order came September 15, 2020, just before the vehicle's ordering cutoff. Combined potential value reached $1.47 billion, with $1.43 billion obligated—97 percent of ceiling. All 32 orders carried no set-aside designation.
BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems and Orbital Sciences dominated the awardee base by frequency with seven and five orders respectively, though Northrop Grumman Systems captured the single largest order by potential value ($606.8 million). The top four primes accounted for 69 percent of task orders by count. NASA Goddard funded 29 of 32 orders valued at $386 million combined, while the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration funded three orders representing $1.09 billion, reflecting primarily the JPSS spacecraft line. Ordering activity peaked in 2016 with ten orders; the final three orders closed out the vehicle in 2020.
Description
RAPID III is a multiple award, IDIQ, Fixed Price type contract, for satellite bus core systems with any necessary modifications to meet specific Mission needs. The scope of the work includes design and development of the spacecraft, integration of Government provided scientific instruments, spacecraft/observatory integration and test, shipment of observatory to launch site, observatory launch support, on-orbit checkout of observatory, and on-orbit operations as required.
IDV awards
Show all 12
Latest task orders
Show 15 more
Latest 25 of 32 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top awardees by obligations
| Rank | Awardee | Obligated | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation | $575,251,008 | 40% |
| 2 | BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems Inc. | $472,128,568 | 33% |
| 3 | Orbital Sciences LLC | $378,285,616 | 26% |
| 4 | Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation | $1,455,000 | <1% |
| 5 | Lockheed Martin Corp | $1,455,000 | <1% |
| 6 | Thales Alenia Space Italia S.P.A. | $500,000 | <1% |
| 7 | General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Inc. | $395,000 | <1% |
| 8 | Thales Alenia Space | $395,000 | <1% |
| 9 | Surrey Satellite Technology US LLC | $10,000 | <1% |
| 10 | Orbital Sciences LLC | $10,000 | <1% |
Top funding agencies by obligations
| Rank | Funding agency | Obligated | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Department of Commerce | $1,045,024,576 | 73% |
| 2 | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $384,900,616 | 27% |
Obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Obligated |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $7,685,181 |
| FY2025 | $20,371,556 |
| FY2024 | $25,645,283 |
| FY2023 | $49,274,625 |
| FY2022 | $45,508,671 |
| FY2021 | $171,853,871 |
| FY2020 | $23,300,954 |
| FY2019 | $12,121,624 |
| FY2018 | $308,358,979 |
| FY2017 | $206,458,031 |
| FY2016 | $78,463,897 |
| FY2015 | $94,579,059 |
| FY2014 | $92,210,174 |
| FY2013 | $102,692,350 |
| FY2012 | $147,746,776 |
| FY2011 | $41,259,200 |
| FY2010 | $2,395,000 |
Show all 17
Quick answers
What is the RAPID III contract vehicle?
RAPID III Spacecraft Acquisition (RAPID III) is an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle run by Goddard Space Center (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), awarded on April 1, 2010.
Which companies hold RAPID III?
12 companies hold RAPID III's IDV awards, one each. The latest went to Lanteris Space LLC on May 18, 2016. The awardees whose task orders obligated the most are Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems Inc. and Orbital Sciences LLC.
How much has been spent through RAPID III?
32 task orders have been placed under RAPID III, obligating $1,429,925,192. Their combined current value, with exercised options, is $1,463,073,608.
What is the shared ceiling of RAPID III?
RAPID III's shared ceiling is $4,000,000,000; its task orders have used 36% of it.
Which agencies use RAPID III the most?
The departments whose task orders under RAPID III obligated the most are Department of Commerce ($1,045,024,576) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration ($384,900,616).
How much was obligated through RAPID III in fiscal year 2025?
Task orders under RAPID III obligated $20,371,556 in fiscal year 2025.
What came before and after RAPID III?
It was followed by Rapid Spacecraft Acquisition IV (RAPID IV).
On GovTribe
See this vehicle's full record
- Every IDV award and task order
- Funding by agency, awardee, NAICS and set-aside
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