RFI_Industry Capability and Interest in Development and Operation of a Payload Processing Facility.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

(RFI) # 2026-01-VCSFA

This is NOT a Solicitation for Bids or Offers

The Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (“VCSFA” or Virginia Spaceport Authority “VSA”) is soliciting industry input from qualified vendors interested in financing, designing, constructing, owning, operating, and maintaining a new Payload Processing Facility (PPF) at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), located on VSA owned property adjacent to NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) at Wallops Island, VA.

PROJECT TITLE: Industry Capability and Interest in Development and Operation of a Payload Processing Facility

ISSUE DATE: March 30, 2026

RESPONSES DUE: No later than April 27, 2026 at 4:00pm ET to: solicitations@vaspace.org

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mailto:solicitations@vaspace.org

1. ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

The Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (“VCSFA” or Virginia Spaceport Authority (“VSA”), a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia, owns and operates the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), which is one of only four public spaceports in the U.S. licensed by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Commercial Space Transportation for vertical launches to orbital trajectories and one of only two East Coast orbital launch sites with launch trajectories to achieve orbital inclinations between approximately 38° and 60°. MARS Launch Complex 0 is located on the NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) complex on the Eastern Shore of Virginia at Wallops Island (Lat: 37.8 degrees N, Long: 75.5 degrees W). The spaceport includes four launch pads, an unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) airfield, a payload processing facility (PPF), and an integration and control facility (ICF). MARS also includes several off-island properties, to include a newly acquired 600-acre site known as the MARS Industrial Complex (MIC) which is located immediately outside the NASA WFF main island gate.

VCSFA offers a competitive alternative for responsive, cost effective, reliable, and mission-capable space access. The launch pads and broad trajectory options at MARS provide access for small- and mid-class launch vehicles to the Earth’s orbit and interplanetary missions. MARS also has the potential to support sun-synchronous orbit missions to satisfy key requirements for science and imagery missions, such as global coverage of nearly all latitudes. VCSFA personnel provide technical support to prepare, enhance, and operate the launch pads in support of customers. VCSFA also provides payload processing support and vehicle integration facilities supporting the entire value chain. The MARS UAS airfield enables direct access to restricted airspace at a secure federal facility.

2. PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority is issuing this Notice of Opportunity to conduct market research and solicit industry input from qualified vendors interested in financing, designing, constructing, owning, operating, and maintaining a new PPF at the MARS.

This facility development opportunity, if awarded, will be situated on private land owned by VCSFA near the Wallops Flight Facility. The development area may also be referred to as the MARS Industrial Complex (MIC). Site selection for this effort will be located within the boundaries of the MIC.

This notice is intended solely to gather information to inform VSA’s long-term infrastructure development and acquisition strategy. This notice does not constitute a solicitation, Request for Proposal (RFP), or commitment by VSA to enter into a lease or contractual arrangement. At VSA’s discretion, respondents may be invited to participate in follow-on discussions or in-person presentations to further elaborate on their responses. VSA welcomes vendor requests for on-site assessments of the proposed properties.

3. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this RFI are to:

• Assess market interest and approach for a vendor-led PPF development at

MARS.

• Describe potential business models, lease structures, and operational concepts under which vendors would own and operate a PPF on VSA-owned land.

• Provide input on facility design approaches, scalability, schedule, and cost drivers.

• Explain how vendors would integrate their facility operations with VSA’s launch manifest, range scheduling, and customer coordination processes.

• Describe proposed business capture approaches, whether pursued on a standalone basis by the vendor or jointly with VCSFA, including potential revenue-sharing structures.

• Identify risks, constraints, and innovations relevant to developing an additional payload processing facility at MARS.

Should the information received in response to this RFI support VCSFA in continuing with the project, VCSFA would anticipate issuing a competitive procurement for a vendor which could provide these capabilities. In addition, the following requirements may be required:

• Vendor shall be AS9100 compliant within 18 months of contract award.

• Vendor may need to be capable of supporting classified government programs up to TS/SCI.

4. CONCEPT OF DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN GOVERNANCE

4.1 Concept of Development

VSA anticipates pursuing a development approach with the following notional characteristics:

• VSA provides a leased site at the MARS Industrial Complex.

• The awarded vendor finances, designs, constructs, owns, operates, and maintains the PPF.

• The facility supports multiple customers and mission types.

• VSA does not operate or manage the facility post-construction.

• The vendor coordinates closely with VSA to ensure seamless integration with:

o MARS launch manifest planning o Site access processes o Customer requirements and security CONOPS o Safety, security, and environmental compliance o Mission execution

4.2 Design Standards and Oversight

VSA anticipates retaining the right to establish and require compliance with applicable design, construction, safety, security, utility, and interface standards to ensure consistency with MARS infrastructure, site requirements, and long-term master planning objectives. Respondents should assume that:

• VSA shall provide baseline design standards, technical criteria, and specialized systems and interface requirements for incorporation into facility design. Those standards will be aligned with commercial standards and all local/state/federal regulations.

• Design reviews and coordination with VSA and other stakeholders (e.g. county and commonwealth authorities, utilities providers, etc. will be required at defined milestones.

• Final design standards and review processes would be defined in any future lease or development agreement. Design standards will be provided prior to final negotiation of agreement.

5. NOTIONAL FACILITY REQUIREMENTS

Respondents should address their ability to deliver a facility with the following notional/minimal requirements. These are provided for planning purposes only and may be refined before award. VSA encourages vendors to provide capabilities beyond these requirements, showing ability to expand or provide additional specifications. The below requirements meet the minimum project needs of VSA.

5.1 Facility Size and Configuration

• Approximate size: 25,000-50,000 square feet

• Modular and scalable designs are preferred for up to a 5M+ fairing and

Medium/Large class payload.

• Door and internal clearances to support payload fairings for medium and heavy-class launch vehicles.

• Dedicated fueling space approximately 60 ft x 80 ft, with 80 ft hook height.

5.2 Functional Capabilities

• Payload receiving, inspection, staging, and storage.

• Upper stage build and launch vehicle integration.

• Cleanroom operations (ISO Class 8 or better).

• Hazardous operations, including:

o Explosive handling.

o Hypergolic fueling and storage.

• Scalable classified processing capability, consistent with ICD 705 standards.

• Hardened control room.

• IT/network infrastructure integrated with related MARS assets.

• Conference rooms and office space.

• Environmental control systems and specialized support utilities.

• Lifting, handling, and transport equipment.

5.3 Security

• Baseline support for unclassified, CUI, and commercial operations.

• Design provisions allowing:

o Temporary classified upgrades, and/or o Dedicated secure processing areas

• Physical and digital security consistent with ICD 705 where applicable.

• Consistent with VSA security CONOPS and site design parameters.

5.4 Concept of Operations Flow

• Segregated and/or deconflicted workflows for hazardous and non-hazardous processing.

• Defined personnel ingress/egress and gowning areas.

• Secure hazardous material storage and transport.

• Launch vehicle and upper-stage integration.

6. INTEGRATION WITH VSA AND MARS OPERATIONS

Respondents should address how they would:

• Coordinate facility availability and processing timelines with VSA’s manifest planning and scheduling processes.

• Interface with VSA, launch service providers, and end-customer stakeholders.

• Incorporate VSA-provided design standards and operational requirements into facility CONOPS.

• Support multi-user requirements.

• Manage turnaround time between customers, including maintenance downtime periods.

• Align facility operations with MARS launch cadence growth and long-term infrastructure plans.

7. REQUESTED VENDOR INFORMATION

VSA requests that respondents provide the following information, at a minimum:

7.1 Company Information

• Company overview and organizational structure

• Key Points of contact

• Relevant certifications, licenses, and accreditations

7.2 Relevant Experience

• Past performance related to:

o Payload processing facilities o Cleanroom environments o Hazardous operations (explosives, hypergols) o Classified/SCIF facilities o Facility maintenance and operations

• Experience with design-build and/or design-bid-build delivery models

• Familiarity with DoD, IC, commercial, and civil space launch and processing requirements

7.3 Development and Operations Approach

• Proposed approach to financing, constructing, owning, maintaining, and operating the facility

• Experience incorporating owner-provided design standards or technical criteria

• Preferred lease structure concepts and assumptions

• Staffing, maintenance, and lifecycle management concepts

• Customer access and usage models (long term lease, per mission occupancy, etc.)

7.4 Schedule, Cost, and Risk

• Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost estimates (for planning, non-binding)

• High-level schedule assumption and critical path drivers

• Construction risks

• Proposed mitigation strategies

7.5 Market Perspective

• Observations on current U.S. payload processing capacity

• Identified gaps or shortfalls that a new PPF could address

• Expected customer demand and utilization outlook

• Perspectives on MARS operations, including observations on how VCSFA currently operates the spaceport in support of payload processing and launch activities, and identification of potential operation efficiencies, process improvements, or integration opportunities that could enhance mission execution, schedule reliability, or customer experience

7.6 Partnerships and Funding

• Potential funding sources or financial partners

• Strategic partnerships with launch providers, spacecraft manufacturers, or government entities (if applicable)

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This RFI does not commit VCSFA to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, VCSFA is not seeking proposals at this time and will not accept unsolicited proposals.

Respondents are advised that VCSFA will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. Responses to this RFI will be used by VCSFA to make associated acquisition decisions.

8. CLARIFICATION AND CONTACT

All contact should be directed through: solicitations@vaspace.org.

Questions regarding this RFI shall be submitted in writing by email to solicitations@vaspace.org by April 13, 2026 at 4:00pm ET, and include the following:

• Organization Name

• Point of Contact

• Email address

• Telephone number

• Detailed question for discussion

Verbal questions will NOT be accepted.

Please note that responses to this RFI are due no later than April 27, 2026 at 4:00 pm EST.

9. PROPOSED RFI SCHEDULE

The following represents VCSFA’s current estimated schedule for the RFI (subject to change):

Activity / Key Milestone Date / Timeline RFI Distributed March 30, 2026 RFI Questions Due March 13, 2026 at 4:00pm EST RFI Responses Due April 27, 2026 at 4:00pm EST

VCSFA reserves the right to alter the RFI schedule as conditions warrant without prior notice.

10. SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS

Interested parties should submit a technical statement of capabilities to include system capabilities, company experience in performing similar operations, proposed support plan considerations and basic requirements. Responses are limited to five pages, single sided, and double spaced. No font size smaller than 12 point is allowed.

Graphics, pictures, and charts may be attached as additional pages. The following information should be included with any response:

• Organization Name

• Address

• Point of Contact

• Business Size/Status

• Years in Business

Respondents to this RFI should adhere to the following instructions:

• Responses to this RFI should be submitted electronically in MS Word or

PDF format to solicitations@vaspace.org.

• The subject line of any response should include “RFI# 2026-01-VCSFA”

• All documentation provided to VCSFA in response to this RFI shall become the property of VCSFA.

11. DISCLAIMER

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes.

VCSFA reserves the right to request additional information during review of RFI responses.

Information which you desire to make available to VCSFA but which you believe should be exempted from disclosure, such as a trade secret, proprietary information, or other confidential information, should clearly be identified and designated as such, stating in writing why protection of that information is needed. The Respondent should make a written request to solicitations@vaspace.org. The written request shall:

1. Specify the applicable Code of Virginia exemption (such as Va. Code Sec. 2.2-3705.6(24)), upon the submission of the materials for which protection is sought;

2. Identify specifically and conspicuously the data or other materials for which the protection is sought (requesting protection for the entire response does not comply with this requirement and such request will be rejected); and

3. State the reasons why protection is necessary.

Failure to take such precautions prior to submission of information may subject confidential information to disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

Responses to the RFI will not be returned. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.