CA_EVO-1_FullText.pdf

Community Announcement: Release Status of an Earth Venture Solicitation

Notice ID Number on www.SAM.gov: NNH26ZDA005L Estimated Release of Draft Solicitation 3Q CY2026 (target) Estimated Release of Final Solicitation 4Q CY2026 (target) Estimated Proposal Due Date 90 days after final solicitation release Estimated Investigation Start Date 4Q CY2027

This Community Announcement (CA) is an advance notice of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate’s (SMD) intention to solicit Earth Venture (EV) investigations, implemented through the EV element of the NASA Earth Science Division (ESD). The EV Program has been restructured into two (2) elements, Earth Venture Orbital (EVO)1 and Earth Venture Suborbital (EVS). This will be the first solicitation in the EVO series and will be soliciting innovative, Principal Investigator (PI)-led, cost-capped investigations for operations in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

The solicitation will accept proposals using a wide range of development approaches, including, but not limited to, commercial best practices and NASA Procedural Requirement (NPR) 7120.5, NASA Space Flight Program and Project Management Requirements, Class D tailored development approaches per NASA SMD Policy Document (SPD) 48 (https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/standardao/ClassD.html). Details will be made available in the final text, including any specific restrictions based on applicability of selected approaches.

The solicitation will call for proposals for innovative PI-led Earth science investigations implemented by developing one or more (a) space-based instruments for integration on a NASA-provided platform/launch vehicle; (b) instrument(s) and spacecraft (i.e., complete observatory), including CubeSats, for integration on a NASA-provided launch vehicle; or (c) complete missions where the PI provides instrument(s), spacecraft, and launch vehicle. Each type of activity may have its own cost cap in the final solicitation.

Potential NASA-provided platforms/launch vehicles (LVs) include platforms/LVs offered by NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program (https://www.nasa.gov/stmd-flight-opportunities/) and LVs offered by NASA’s Launch Services Program Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) (https://www.nasa.gov/vadr-venture-class-acquisition-of-dedicated-and-rideshare-launch-services/).

Commercial contracting approaches that bundle spacecraft, launch and operations are also welcome. Proposals that leverage capabilities or incorporate best practices from commercial fleet operators are encouraged. NASA also encourages proposers to consider co-flying with commercial fleet or current NASA missions. NASA is also open to innovative partnering opportunities that may help achieve greater science objectives within the budgetary limits of this solicitation.

The solicitation will focus on the PI’s ability to reduce the time-to-science. As such, NASA desires the launch of the investigation to occur within 3-4 years of authority to proceed with a goal of going from proposal receipt to selection in 6 months. Current planning is for the selection process to be done in one step, with the selected investigation proceeding directly into formulation. NASA also intends to require the PI to identify potential non- NASA funded partnerships for continued operations and data collection/processing after the prime mission.

NASA is committed to principles of open science for EVO-1, including the full, free, and open sharing of data, algorithms, software, and documentation from project initiation in accordance with SPD-41A, https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/smd-information-policy-spd-41a.pdf.

1 Previously, the orbital EV Program consisted of Earth Venture Instrument (EVI), Earth Venture Mission (EVM), and Earth Venture Continuity (EVC). The EVS element previously existed and remains unchanged at this time.

https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/standardao/ClassD.html https://www.nasa.gov/stmd-flight-opportunities/ https://www.nasa.gov/vadr-venture-class-acquisition-of-dedicated-and-rideshare-launch-services/ https://www.nasa.gov/vadr-venture-class-acquisition-of-dedicated-and-rideshare-launch-services/ https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/smd-information-policy-spd-41a.pdf

At this time, the approximate budget range (in FY2026 dollars) for the PI-Managed Mission Cost-cap (PIMMC) for potential EVO-1 investigations is $35M to $115M. NASA is looking for community feedback to establish the optimal PIMMC, considering NASA’s intent to prioritize (reduced) time-to-science, leverage commercial products/services, and accommodability (e.g., simplicity of interfaces for integration of an instrument on a NASA-provided platform/launch vehicle or for integration of a complete observatory on a NASA-provided launch vehicle). NASA may select one or more investigations based on the established PIMMC value and funding availability.

Participation will be open to all categories of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations, including educational institutions, University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs), industry, not-for-profit organizations, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), NASA Centers, and other Government agencies.

NASA has not approved the issuance of a solicitation, and this CA does not obligate NASA to issue the solicitation and solicit proposals. In addition, the EVO-1 opportunity may contain provisions that differ substantially from this preliminary notice, in which case the provisions in the solicitation will take precedence. Any costs incurred by prospective investigators in preparing submissions in response to this announcement or the planned solicitation are incurred completely at the submitter's own risk.

NASA encourages feedback in response to this CA, including comments and recommendations regarding the approach/structure, investigation structure, reducing time to science, and any other input to help shape release of the first EVO solicitation. Questions or comments about this EVO-1 CA should be submitted by April 23, 2026, and addressed to: Michael Kaszyca, NASA Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP) Deputy Program Manager, michael.kaszyca@nasa.gov, and Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, Program Scientist, nadya@nasa.gov. The received questions and answers will be posted on the EVO-1 Acquisition Homepage (https://essp.larc.nasa.gov/EVO-1):

anonymity of the authors of all questions will be preserved.

In addition to this Venture opportunity, ESD plans to release an Explorers-class CA in the next 12 months. ESD will not be moving forward with a previously discussed Atmosphere Observing System (AOS)-Cloud solicitation.

https://essp.larc.nasa.gov/EVO-1