NEXUS TDRS-BC_DraftSolicitation_IndustryDay_Presentation_20260414- Released 20260421.pdf

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

1nasa.gov | NASA Internal Only 1

Network Extension for User Continuity and Sustainability (NEXUS):

Draft Solicitation 80MSFC26R0006 Industry Day

April 14, 2026 msfc-nexus@mail.nasa.gov

NEXUS Industry Day Agenda (9:00AM – 11:00AM)

• Opening and Industry Day Objectives – Jennifer George

• Team Introductions – Jennifer George

• NEXUS Context and Need – Nick Case

• NEXUS Acquisition Overview – Jennifer George

• NEXUS TDRS-BC Proposal Requirements – Jennifer George

• NEXUS TDRS-BC SOO and SRD Requirements Overview – Joey Broome / Nick Case

• NEXUS TDRS-BC Evaluation and Downselect Approaches– Brooke Thronton

• NEXUS TDRS-BC Industry Engagement – Jennifer George

• Q&A and Feedback Session – Jennifer George / Nick Case / Brooke Thronton

• Closing and Next Steps – Kate Hester / Colton Parton

Team Introductions

Nick Case | NEXUS Project Manager

Brooke Thronton | NEXUS Associate Project Manager

Jennifer George | NEXUS Contracting Officer

Philip Franklin | MSFC Science & Technology Chief Engineer

Joey Broome | NEXUS Engineering Lead

Colton Parton | NEXUS Industry Engagement / Partnership Lead

Kate Hester | NEXUS Project Coordinator

NextSTEP-3, Appendix E: NEXUS Ka-Band Backward- Compatible Relay

• Objective: NASA’s objective with this draft Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Appendix E solicitation is to procure capability development and in-flight demonstration.

• Capability: End-to-end Ka-band bent pipe relay capability, including space, ground, launch, integration, and operations elements, that is backward compatible with legacy TDRS users.

• Technology developed under this BAA could potentially be placed into, or inform, a future operational service model for atleast 15 years post-capability(s) demonstration.

• Status: Draft Solicitation released April 9, 2026. Anticipate Final Solicitation release May 15, 2026, to develop and demonstrate this capability.

• INDUSTRY DAY DESIRED OUTCOMES:

• Communicate draft solicitation project requirements and procurement intent.

• Receive industry feedback through approved communication channels.

A Continuity Gap Is Coming

• NASA faces a credible continuity risk in the 2029–2031 timeframe as the TDRS constellation continues to age and available coverage degrades.

• Several legacy missions still depend on TDRS-compatible Ka-band services for critical telemetry, tracking, and command continuity.

• Timing is driven by actual TDRS health and coverage, not a planning target.

• Further degradation or earlier-than-expected loss of coverage could pull the continuity gap left and compress the transition timeline.

• NASA must move now to establish a viable replacement path before legacy missions retire and before continuity risk becomes mission risk.

The continuity window is coming before legacy missions retire, and it could move left if TDRS health degrades faster than expected.

Legacy Users Are Constrained by Design

• These missions were designed around heritage TDRS-compatible Ka-band links, with interfaces and operations built to work with that legacy environment.

• They cannot simply shift to a new frequency band without creating major impacts to existing spacecraft and mission operations.

• They cannot adopt a new relay architecture without major spacecraft changes.

• NEXUS must enable a seamless transition of Ka-band High Data Rate services from TDRS before a continuity gap emerges.

No gap. No modifications. No break in service.

Why NEXUS Exists and What Success Looks Like

• NEXUS is focused on the specific integration and backward-compatibility gaps that industry has not yet demonstrated in a fully integrated service.

• End-to-end = full service path across space, ground, launch, integration, operations, and sustainment.

• The purpose of the demonstration is to validate the end-to-end capability and add resiliency through a satellite of opportunity.

• The service must operate in NASA’s heritage TDRS Ka-band frequencies using a waveform-agnostic, bent-pipe architecture that preserves compatibility with legacy users.

NASA seeks credible, backward-compatible Ka-band service capability that can be demonstrated under the BAA and transitioned in time to support legacy users before the continuity gap.

What Makes the NEXUS Acquisition Strategy Different

• NEXUS uses a phased acquisition strategy to invest in the NEXUS-specific needs that close the gap while leveraging credible commercial capabilities, infrastructure, and innovation wherever they can be applied

• Because NASA must protect Ka-band Space Research spectrum, the NEXUS service path does not align cleanly to the kind of pure commercial model being demonstrated under CSP

• NEXUS is therefore structured to encourage commercial collaboration and partnership wherever commercial capability can be applied

• Potential approaches could include a government-anchored service with NASA-funded integration, a hosted payload or mission payload on a commercial platform, or a hybrid spacecraft approach with clear segregation between government and commercial paths

• NASA wants industry feedback on what partnership structures, funding approaches, contractual arrangements, and architectural concepts could make these models executable and commercially credible NEXUS is not a paper study. It is a phased, commercially collaborative approach to invest in the

NEXUS-specific needs that close the gap and leverage commercial capabilities and infrastructure everywhere else.

Acquisition Overview: Industry Feedback Opportunity This procurement: Capability Development and Demonstration Transition to Services: Bridge contract; additional demonstrations as CLIN 4/Phase 4; multiple award IDIQ How can industry achieve service readiness on a timeline that avoids any gap in legacy services and supports the fastest feasible transition to 15 years of operational service after IOC?

Appendix E BAA: Phased Structure with Milestones

NASA will invest in industry’s commercial architectures through a three-phase competitive structure (aligned with CLINs):

• Base CLIN 1 (Phase 1): Concept Maturation and Risk Reduction

• Priced Option CLIN 2 (Phase 2): System Integration and Flight Demonstration Readiness

• Priced Option CLIN 3 (Phase 3): On-Orbit Demonstration and Service Validation

NASA will progressively reduce the number of contractors by exercising, or not exercising, option CLINs.

Decision will be based on performance and progress of each phase. The intent is to maintain competition across the acquisition lifecycle while ensuring continued desired capability development.

Payment Milestones (Attachment I)

• Phase 1: One milestone; remaining payment at CLIN completion

• Phase 2: Three milestones; remaining payment at CLIN completion

• Phase 3: One milestone at launch; remaining payment at CLIN completion

Unique Aspects of this Proposal (Solicitation page 15) Eligibility Information (Subject to Change)

• ITAR

• Corporate Contribution (Section 3.2.5 of

Omnibus)

• The portion of resources a company invests in the development effort—such as labor, travel, consumables, facilities, equipment, or prior IR&D—valued at fair market rates, and documented to show a direct, relevant in-kind contribution to the overall project.

• This will be monitored and valuated at proposal and throughout execution

Pricing

• FFP –Pricing instructions in subsequent amendment or final, whichever comes first.

Integrated Master Schedule

• Show if / when GFR, GTAs, or Government

Technical Interchange Meetings (TIMs) are required to partner on your proposed progress.

• Inform NASA of your plan, cadence, and expectations

• emonstration

Statement of Objectives and SRD Requirements Overview

Statement of Objectives (SoO) Purpose

• Defines clear mission objectives

• Specifics regarding the demonstration

• Establishes required performance outcomes

• General Coverage and Service

• Ka-band Forward Services

• Ka-band Return Services

• Security and Privacy (specific framework process)

• Scheduling and Controlling

• External Interfaces

• Additional Performance and Operations

• Test Interfaces

• Defines key constraints and interfaces

• Establishes what must be achieved through demonstration to validate service readiness (success criteria)

• Outlines transition to sustained commercial relay services

NEXUS System Definition Legacy User/Customer Segment

Customer Control Centers/Systems

• Command generation

• Telemetry processing

• Data distribution

Back-up (as needed)

NEXUS System

Space-to-Space Link (SSL)

Return Link – High Data Rate 25.545-27.195 GHz 650 MHz Bandwidth

Low Latency

Forward Link – Command & Uplink 22.55-23.55 GHz

50 MHz Bandwidth Low Latency

Forward Link:

• Customer Data

• Commands, files, & pointing

NEXUS Remote Ground Stations (as needed)

NEXUS Ground Operation Centers

• RF downlink/uplink

• Network Routing

• Latency minimization

Terrestrial Network

Space-to- Ground Link

Forward and Return IF (Digital IF over WAN)

Service Planning API Interface System Status

Return Link:

• Customer Data

• Tracking & Telemetry

Nexus Relay Space Segment

• Provide Ka-Band bent-pipe relay services

• 8 concurrently operational, paired forward and return space-to-space links

• Global longitude coverage, ±75 latitude

• 15-year minimum service life

Customer Vehicles (Legacy Ka-band Users)

Service Altitude: 0 km to 1500 km Terminal Interface: RF Ka-Band heritage frequency *No modifications to onboard systems of legacy customers

Forward/Return Link Ground Demarcation

NASA Missions Other Government Users

Back-up (as needed)

SSL Forward/Return Link Interface

The key objectives for the NEXUS demonstration include:

• Protect continuity of legacy NASA missions operating within defined TDRS Ka-band spectral ranges without requiring modification to customer vehicle onboard systems.

• Demonstrate an operationally viable relay capability that functions as a service by providing no fewer than two concurrent paired forward and return links, with one paired link providing coverage for Region A (CONUS) and the second paired link providing coverage for another region proposed by the Provider.

• NASA desires persistent coverage in the proposed demonstration regions to the maximum extent practicable, consistent with the Provider’s proposed architecture.

• Verification of requirements and Validation of performance, coverage, concurrency, and operational execution through on-orbit demonstration.

• Generate sufficient technical, operational, and cost data to inform a follow-on competitive sustained services acquisition.

• Enable service readiness within a timeframe acceptable to maintain legacy service availability.

Demonstration Mission Objectives

• Coverage and Service

• Number of links and regions, 15-year service

• Ka-band Forward/Return Space-to-Space Link (SSL)

• Enables backward compatibility with current TDRS users without changes to their onboard systems

• Security and Privacy

• Provides a framework for establishing proper security protocols

• Establishes NASA authority to approve provider’s security approach and overall Authority To Connect (ATC)

• Scheduling and Controlling

• Establishes general expectations for scheduling

• Establishes that scheduling will be based on NASA provided priority list

• External Interface

• Web-based scheduling capability as well as Application Programming Interface (API)

• Additional Performance and Operations

• Ephemeris and spacecraft expectations

• Dynamic Flight Operations

• Testing Interface

• Establishes RF Compatibility testing requirement with a flight equivalent NASA system

Required Performance Outcomes Key Note: The Performance requirements are written with respect to the eventual full service.

Key Points for consideration:

• Providers should plan to meet all requirements but should identify any that drive significant schedule or cost impacts and the potential savings from adjusting them.

• While Ka-band operating frequency, RF bandwidth and several others are fixed to maintain compatibility with heritage systems, offerors may propose other requirement trades for NASA consideration.

• Providers should also highlight any capabilities that exceed threshold requirements, as these may inform evaluation.

Required Performance Outcomes

• Spectrum and Regulatory Compliance

• NASA provides the spectrum authorization for the Ka-band Space-to-Space links

• Provider is responsible for all other spectrum licensing, as well as other requirements associated with seeking approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

• Provider is responsible for procuring launch services, orbital debris compliance, and any regulatory requirements for placement and operation of ground infrastructure.

• Infrastructure and Routing Constraints

• All NEXUS ground assets should not be located in or traverse through countries called out in Country Group D per Supplement No. 1 to part 740 of the EAR.

• Transition Alignment

• Demonstration must be scalable and commercially supportable without fundamental redesign for sustained services

• Two (2) links for demonstration (Region A plus provider proposed region), with ability for clear transition to eight (8) links across all three (3) regions.

Constraints and Interfaces

The demonstration shall be considered successful when the provider has:

• Verified compliance with all applicable performance requirements in Attachment B (SRD) through delivered and approved verification data.

• Validated system function and performance through on-orbit execution.

• Demonstrated viability of the relay services while operating on-orbit

• Successfully supported heritage TDRS customer vehicle communications without requiring customer vehicle modifications, proving backward compatibility.

• Reduced technical and integration risks to enable confident transition to full service.

• Produced sufficient performance, availability, operational, schedule, and cost data to inform sustained services acquisition.

Successful demonstration shall be declared once these objectives have been met along with demonstrated capability to support sustained service both technically and programmatically.

Demonstration Success Criteria and Validation Emphasis

• The SRD provides an overview of the NEXUS Service/System.

• Provides all the NEXUS system functional and performance requirements for the service.

• Provides document conventions, definitions and notations.

The intent of this requirement document is to support definition of the required “what” and to the maximum extent possible not define the “how”. However, since existing assets and missions are already operating utilizing this Ka-band frequency/capability, legacy compatibility is required. Therefore, some detailed requirements were necessary specifically regarding the space-to-space link.

NEXUS Service Requirements Document (SRD)

• 8 Categories of Requirements: 66 Total Requirements

• It was necessary to assume an orbit design for 4 requirements, GEO was assumed. Other solutions (MEO or LEO) would result in different requirement values.

• KaFS-12, Ka-band Forward Link EIRP

• KaRS-9, Ka-band Return Link Input Signal Level

• KaRS-11, Ka-band Return Link G/T

• AP-1, Signal/Doppler Dynamics

NEXUS SRD Requirements Overview

Requirement Category # of Requirements

General Coverage and Service (CS) 12

Ka-band Forward Service (KaFS) 16

Ka-band Return Service(KaRS) 17

Security and Privacy (SP) 2

Scheduling and Controlling (SC) 8

External Interfaces (EI) 3

Additional Performance and Operations (AP) 6

Testing Interfaces (TI) 2

Evaluation Factors Technical Capability - This factor evaluates the adequacy, credibility, and soundness of the Offeror’s proposed technical approach and capability to deliver the end-to-end NEXUS commercial relay service.

Subfactors Architectural Credibility and Performance Compliance, Design Maturity, Heritage, and Technology Stability, Concept of Operations and NASA Mission Integration, System Resilience, Redundancy, and Operational Continuity

Management Capability - This factor evaluates the ability to successfully execute the program by evaluating the project management approach, risk mitigation strategies, commercial investment structure, and relevant past performance.

Subfactors Project Management Approach, Risk Management Strategy, Commercial Strategy and Investment Structure, Past Performance

Evaluation Factors (Continued)

Intellectual Property Data Assertions NASA will evaluate the Offeror’s approach to intellectual property, data rights, software rights, interface documentation, and any anticipated restrictions or assertions that could affect Government insight, integration, validation, sustainment, or future competition.

Corporate Contributions NASA will also evaluate any proposed corporate contributions to determine their purpose, scope, timing, estimated value, source, dependencies, associated risks, credibility, relevance, and contribution to the proposed end-to-end NEXUS service solution, including support to the technical approach, execution plan, demonstration, and transition to service.

Price NASA will evaluate the overall reasonableness and realism of the Firm-Fixed-Price proposal, including consideration of price in relation to available funds. In performing its price evaluation, NASA will not assign an adjectival rating nor strengths or weaknesses.

Evaluation

• NASA is conducting this procurement as an other competitive procedure in accordance with

FAR 6.102(c) and FAR 35.016. Each proposal will be evaluated on its own individual merits against the evaluation factors and subfactors set forth in this solicitation.

• NASA will assign adjectival ratings, excluding price, to each evaluation factor and subfactor based on the assessed strengths, weaknesses, significant weaknesses, and deficiencies.

These ratings will be converted to numerical scores in accordance with the adjectival rating definitions, percentages, and methodology.

• NASA will assign adjectival ratings to each non-price evaluation factor, Technical Capability and Management, and will weight those factor ratings in accordance with their stated relative importance. Those factor ratings will be converted to numerical scores, and the non-price factors will be weighted on a 1,000-point scale as follows:

Category Weighted Factor Technical Capability 700 Management 300

If two or more proposals are determined to be substantially equal under the stated evaluation factors and subfactors, NASA will consider the qualitative significance of evaluated strengths, weaknesses, and risks in the following mission-critical areas solely for the limited purpose of distinguishing between those otherwise risk to successful performance substantially equal proposals:

• Credibility and completeness of the approach to requirements compliance and backward compatibility with legacy TDRS users

• Realism and executability of the demonstration, validation, and transition-to-service approach, including the overall

Proposals of comparable merit

The Decision Package report, which will include a report and presentation to NASA, at the end of CLIN 1 (Concept Maturation and Risk Reduction) shall address the following:

Down select from CLIN 1 to CLIN 2 nasa.gov | Industry Day Material | April 14, 2026 | Public Release Version

• Technical and operational credibility: The proposed design is technically sound, meets backward compatibility needs, and fulfills all performance requirements before committing further.

• Execution feasibility and programmatic risk: Ability to realistically build, launch, and operate the system on time and within budget.

• A measurable path to demonstration and validation: Ability to prove their system works in the real world before moving into the actual demonstration phase.

• To validate long-term service viability and security: Ability to ensure the system will not just be a successful test, but will mature into a secure, resilient, and sustainable commercial service for NASA's long-term use.

Down select from CLIN 2 to CLIN 3 The Decision Package report, which will include a report and presentation to NASA, at the end of CLIN 2 (System Integration and Flight Demonstration Readiness) shall address the following

• To confirm physical system readiness and final verification: The ability to moved beyond design and successfully built, integrated, and ground-tested the hardware and software, proving the system is fully ready for a flight demonstration.

• To verify all regulatory, launch, and security hurdles are cleared: Ensure that there are no logistical, legal, or cybersecurity roadblocks preventing the system from launching and operating in space during CLIN 3.

• To ensure a clear, actionable plan for the on-orbit demonstration: Confidence that the vendor knows exactly how they will execute, measure, and validate success once the system is in orbit.

• To solidify the transition-to-service and long-term viability: The ability to ensure that once the CLIN 3 flight demonstration is successful, the contractor is fully prepared to seamlessly transition the system into a reliable, commercially available operational service for NASA.

Industry Engagement

All questions will be documented and the response will be posted on SAM.gov.

• Questions and Answers will be batched and posted approximately every 4-5 business days.

• Major changes will be released as an Amendment.

All Comments and Questions must be submitted via email to MSFC-NEXUS@mail.nasa.gov no later than April 21, 2026.

mailto:MSFC-NEXUS@mail.nasa.gov

Q&A Session

Questions and Answers (Batch 1: April 21, 2026 – Reflective of Live Session)

INDUSTRY QUESTION / COMMENT GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

Can industry submit two proposals with different architectures?

Only one proposal submission per Prime Contractor. NASA recommends a Prime Contractor submit its best solution. A Contractor is not precluded from multiple teaming arrangements;

however, only one best architecture approach proposal per Prime.

How will commercial capability past performance be evaluated?

Past performance in Private and Government performance is allowed. If a company has no past performance reported, its scores will be neither positive nor negative. (See Section 6 for additional guidance).

Will NASA identify the mission(s) that will be supported in the demo, or can companies propose mission end users if they have relationships?

Contractors will not be required to coordinate with legacy users for demo. NEXUS will represent and communicate its users’ needs.

Does NEXUS need to be truly "bent pipe", or could you solve the issue throrough other approaches to be waveform agnostic compliant?

NEXUS is seeking a true, bent pipe, waveform agnostic solution.

Questions and Answers (Batch 1: April 21, 2026 – Reflective of Live Session)

INDUSTRY QUESTION / COMMENT GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

Requested clarification on service volume altitudes.

Service volume included terrestrial (0 km) up to 1500 km.

Will NEXUS use government provided ground systems? No. Contractors should propose end to end solutions.

What is the appetite from the current TDRS user base for different approaches? If a white paper was written, would it be shared with user missions?

Written feedback to our requirements is requested and will be shared and adjudicated to meet user needs into a final if necessary. Note: An RFI was released a year ago, and white papers have lead to this request from industry.

How does NASA view the balance of insight vs oversight for Project NEXUS?

Reference Section 8.2 "Government Engagement“ The Government is requesting the Contractor’s proposal to include a schedule as well as its need for Government engagement. The final solicitation will include the minimum expectations, but a Contractor should propose its necessary insight/oversight model for this capability development and demonstration proposal.

Closing & Next Steps

Key Takeaways

• NEXUS encourages industry feedback to shape final solicitation.

Deadlines for Feedback

• Feedback on Draft RFP is due April 21, 2026.

SAM.gov and follow-up information

• Current posting will be updated for final solicitation

One-on-One Meetings – Rocky Mountain Conference Room

• Confirm Date and Time

NASA SCaN Program’s Near-Earth Space Relay Industry Day – May 14, 2026

*Not related to NEXUS Solicitation Pursuit