NIGP 80477: Spaceships

NIGP 80477 Spaceships, an Item code, covers the design, development, testing, and procurement of spacecraft and related space hardware used by state and local government entities and educational institutions, as evidenced by recent market-research solicitations and equipment purchases. State and local buyers under this code include higher-education systems conducting space research and development; workforce and economic-development agencies managing space-industry infrastructure; and recreation departments purchasing space-themed recreational equipment. The actual work being solicited ranges from procurement of specialized space hardware (such as spacesuit simulators) to contracted access to test facilities supporting propulsion systems, thermal-vacuum testing, and related space technologies. These acquisitions reflect state policy interests in space education, workforce development, and private space-industry infrastructure development.

Texas entities dominate recent activity, with the Texas Space Commission, Texas A&M University System, and Texas Workforce Commission all issuing solicitations between April and September 2026. The Texas Space Commission issued a detailed RFI (RFI 358-26-004, response deadline September 14, 2026) seeking information on shared-user space propulsion test and evaluation facilities capable of supporting research, development, testing, and evaluation work in-state; the RFI explicitly segregates current verified capabilities from proposed or conceptual ones and requires prior demonstration of NASA test-infrastructure experience. The Texas Workforce Commission issued a concurrent market-research RFI (response deadline September 11, 2026) targeting existing thermal-vacuum testing facilities within Texas. Texas A&M University System procured a spacesuit simulator through an ITB (TAMUS-ITB-26-0535, bid deadline April 28, 2026) via the AggieBid platform. Louisville Metro Government and Parks and Recreation issued an IFB for a Family Aquatic Center in June 2026 (response deadline July 9, 2026), representing tangential activity under this code.