3rdNSPIRES_Email.pdf
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- Solicitation number
- NNH25ZDA008J
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This document is a Community Announcement (CA) regarding the 2026 Astrophysics Small Explorer (SMEX) Announcement of Opportunity (AO). The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD), specifically the Astrophysics Division (APD), intends to solicit proposals for the Astrophysics Explorers Program in Calendar Year 2026, with the formal AO expected to be released during the second quarter of 2026. The primary update contained in this fourth community announcement concerns the cost cap, which has been increased from $170 million in FY 2025 dollars (as specified in the draft AO) to $190 million in FY 2026 dollars.
Questions and comments regarding the APD SMEX26 AO should be submitted via email to John Wisniewski (Program Lead Scientist) at john.p.wisniewski@nasa.gov and E. Lucien Cox (Program Executive) at elbert.l.cox@nasa.gov, using the subject line "APD 2026 SMEX CA," with a deadline of April 3, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time. NASA will respond either individually by email or through updates to the Questions and Answers page on the SOMA 2026 Astrophysics SMEX Acquisition website (https://explorers.larc.nasa.gov/APSMEX26/SMEX/index.html), with submitter anonymity preserved. No additional draft versions of the AO will be released before the final text; however, a pre-proposal conference is planned for approximately three weeks after the AO release to clarify expectations regarding the planned Single-Step Selection approach for proposal evaluation.
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| File | Type | Posted |
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| 3rdNSPIRESemail.pdf | ||
| 2ndNSPIRESemail.pdf | ||
| 1stNSPIRESemail.pdf |
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Text version
2026 Astrophysics Small Explorer Announcement of Opportunity
March 2026 Community Announcement
The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is releasing a fourth Community Announcement
(CA) via www.SAM.gov as an amendment to a special notice number NNH25ZDA008J stating
NASA’s intention to solicit proposals for the Astrophysics Explorers Program in Calendar Year
(CY) 2026.
SMD’s Astrophysics Division’s (APD) Explorers Program continues to plan on releasing an
Announcement of Opportunity (AO) entitled “2026 Astrophysics Small Explorer (SMEX)” during the 2nd Quarter of CY 2026. This CA provides an update on the AO Cost Cap. The AO
Cost Cap will be increased to $190M in FY 2026 dollars (FY26$) from $170M in FY 2025 dollars (FY25$) as in the draft AO.
Along with answers to questions previously submitted by the Community, a copy of this email update also has been posted by the NASA Science Office for Mission Assessments (SOMA) to their 2026 Astrophysics SMEX Acquisition website and are available at https://explorers.larc.nasa.gov/APSMEX26/SMEX/index.html.
New questions and/or comments about Astrophysics SMEX 2026 (APD SMEX26) AO should be addressed via email to John Wisniewski, Astrophysics Small Explorers Program Lead Scientist, SMD, john.p.wisniewski@nasa.gov, and E. Lucien Cox, Astrophysics Small Explorers Program
Executive, SMD, elbert.l.cox@nasa.gov, using subject line “APD 2026 SMEX CA.”
Emailed questions and/or comments will be accepted until April 3, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Eastern time. Depending on the nature of the question(s) or comment(s), NASA may respond on an individual basis by email or may post responses in an update to the Questions and Answers
(Q&A) on the SOMA 2026 Astrophysics SMEX Acquisition website. Anonymity of persons or institutions submitting questions will be preserved.
Before the Final AO text is released, NASA does not plan to release another draft version of the
APD SMEX26 AO. The APD SMEX26 Acquisition website Q&A page is the forum to communicate answers to questions about the AO prior to its release. The APD SMEX26 Pre-proposal Conference will provide an opportunity ~3 weeks after the release of the Final AO to clarify expectations on the Single-Step Selection approach planned for proposal evaluation. After the AO release the Q&A feature on the APD SMEX 2026 Acquisition website will continue to provide a resource for clarifications.
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