Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC) Request for Proposal
Open Solicitation Posted
- Solicitation number
- 80JSC027R0004
- Agency
-
Johnson Space Center
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 336414 Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing
- Place of performance
- Houston, Texas, United States
- Points of contact
-
- Ashley Chaves jsc-cldc@mail.nasa.gov
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
NASA Johnson Space Center is soliciting proposals for the Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC), 80JSC027R0004, to design, build, and operate a commercially owned and operated LEO destination providing end-to-end crew and cargo services, with proposals due December 8, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Central Time. This is a Firm Fixed Price multiple-award IDIQ with a $100 million minimum guarantee and $34.063 billion not-to-exceed ceiling, structured as FAR 15 competitive procurement with two CLIN 1 (Initial Development) awards at contract execution followed by competition for one CLIN 2 (Development & Certification) award.
Place of performance is Houston, Texas, with work performed primarily at contractor facilities; some work may occur on-site at NASA Johnson Space Center through Government Collaboration Agreements or Government Task Agreements. The contractor must obtain a Top Secret facility security clearance and comply with 32 CFR Part 117 and applicable NASA security procedures; access to classified information occurs only at NASA/JSC, with classified material not permitted at contractor facility. The contractor may require access to Communications Security, Sensitive Compartmented Information, non-SCI National Intelligence Information, and Controlled Unclassified Information, and must comply with Operations Security requirements.
The contract encompasses five CLINs spanning an 8-year base period (April 2027–March 2035) plus two options: Option 1 (4 years, April 2035–March 2039) and Option 2 (3 years, April 2039–March 2042). CLIN 1 targets 15–18 months for design through Critical Design Review. Mission Services (CLIN 3) are priced for crew configurations of 2, 3, and 4 members with bulk-buy discounts. NASA guarantees Government Furnished Transportation and Support Services for the first four missions if requested, and grants up to twenty NASA personnel collaboration at no cost. The NAICS code is 336414 (Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing) with a 1,300-employee size standard. DPAS priority rating is DO-C9. Estimated contract award date is April 15, 2027.
Proposal volumes due: Volume III (Past Performance) is requested early on November 24, 2026; full proposal due December 8, 2026. Questions close October 21, 2026. A virtual pre-proposal conference is scheduled for October 15, 2026. One-on-one meetings for Destination Prime Offerors are October 16, 2026. Government Task Agreement requests are due October 31, 2026, with NASA responses due December 1, 2026. Evaluation weighs mission suitability (1,000 points: 550 technical, 400 management, 50 small business) and past performance approximately equal to price, with responsibility considerations as a separate factor. Offerors must provide five volumes: Volume I (pricing narrative, 30 pages plus price template), Volume II (technical and management approach, 300 pages plus unlimited DRDs and attachments), Volume III (past performance, 30 pages), Volume IV (responsibility considerations, unlimited), and Volume V (signed model contract). Contractors must comply with SAE AS9100 certification and extensive data requirements including monthly Integrated Master Schedule, quarterly Commercialization Plan, and cyber supply chain risk management questionnaire aligned to NIST SP 800-161.
Notice text
2 versions
Update #2 · Latest ·
This is a modification to the notice entitled "Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC) Request for Proposal" which was posted on October 9, 2026.
You are notified that the following changes are made:
The following document is posted:
(1) CLDC Final RFP Pre-proposal Conference Charts
______________________
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) is issuing a Final Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC), 80JSC027R0004. You are notified of the following:
- The entire proposal is due by December 8, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Central Time. Proposal Volume III, Past Performance is requested two (2) weeks early on November 24, 2026, but not officially due until the proposal submittal date.
- All questions regarding this RFP should be submitted in writing, electronically to Ashley Chaves, Contracting Officer, at jsc-cldc@mail.nasa.gov on or before 1:00 p.m. Central Time on October 21, 2026. Offerors are encouraged to submit questions as soon as possible for consideration. Questions shall be submitted using the Template for Submission of Comments in the “Attachments” section below. Telephone questions will not be accepted.
- The RFP and attachments have been posted in the "Attachments" section below. This RFP and associated documents supersede the Draft RFP in its entirety. Any additional documents will be available on www.sam.gov.
- The Technical Library is available on www.sam.gov under notice ID 80JSC025_CLDC_TECH_LIBRARY.
- If you have not accessed the Technical Library before, please complete the Technical Library Request Form and refer to the instructions under notice ID 80JSC025_CLDC_TECH_LIBRARY prior to submitting a request via www.sam.gov.
- The Pre-Proposal Conference for this solicitation is anticipated to be held (virtual only) via Microsoft Teams on Thursday, October 15, 2026, starting at 1:00 p.m. Central Time. Attendance at the pre-proposal conference is recommended; however, attendance is neither required nor a prerequisite for proposal submission. No recordings or use of Super Intelligence (SI) note-taking capabilities of any kind are permitted. Participation is limited to a total of ten (10) individuals from each company/team.
Please RSVP for the Pre-Proposal Conference and One-on-Ones by Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 1:00 p.m. Central Time by sending an email to the following addresses:
Name: Ashley Chaves
Email: jsc-cldc@mail.nasa.gov
The RSVP email for the Pre-Proposal Conference must include the following:
Subject Line: 80JSC027R0004 Pre-Proposal RSVP
- Full company name
- Company address
- SAM Unique Entity ID and Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code
- Company point of contact name, phone number, and email address
- Company size/type (e.g., Large Business, Small Business, Women-Owned Small Business, etc.)
- Names, position descriptions, and email addresses of attendees (no more than ten (10) individuals may represent any party or team of parties)
The Pre-Proposal Conference One-on-Ones will be scheduled upon request and will be held in-person with a hybrid option at the Gilruth Center on October 16, 2026. One-on-Ones will be limited to Destination Prime Offerors. To request a One-on-One please send an email to the Contracting Officer, Ashley Chaves, at jsc-cldc@mail.nasa.gov.
The RSVP email for the Pre-Proposal One-on-One must include the following:
Subject Line: 80JSC027R0004 Pre-Proposal One-on-One RSVP
- Full company name
- Company address
- SAM Unique Entity ID and Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code
- Company point of contact name, phone number, and email address
- Company size/type (e.g., Large Business, Small Business, Women-Owned Small Business, etc.)
- Names, position descriptions, and email addresses of attendees (no more than eight (8) individuals may represent any party or team of parties)
- Preference on in-person, virtual, or hybrid attendance for One-on-One and identify which individuals will be attending in-person or virtually.
A confirmation email will be sent to acknowledge your reservation(s) and provide further instructions.
NASA anticipates releasing the Pre-Proposal Conference charts prior to the Pre-Proposal Conference. Please continue to monitor this SAM.gov posting for updates on the release of any documents, as well as the CLDC website.
NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Ombudsman for this acquisition is Donna M. Shafer, donna.m.shafer@nasa.gov, 281-483-4258.
It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor this website for amendments to this solicitation and other information. Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments.
Prospective offerors are encouraged to notify the Contracting Officer of their intent to submit an offer.
Update #1 ·
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) is issuing a Final Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC), 80JSC027R0004. You are notified of the following:
- The entire proposal is due by December 8, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Central Time. Proposal Volume III, Past Performance is requested two (2) weeks early on November 24, 2026, but not officially due until the proposal submittal date.
- All questions regarding this RFP should be submitted in writing, electronically to Ashley Chaves, Contracting Officer, at jsc-cldc@mail.nasa.gov on or before 1:00 p.m. Central Time on October 21, 2026. Offerors are encouraged to submit questions as soon as possible for consideration. Questions shall be submitted using the Template for Submission of Comments in the “Attachments” section below. Telephone questions will not be accepted.
- The RFP and attachments have been posted in the "Attachments" section below. This RFP and associated documents supersede the Draft RFP in its entirety. Any additional documents will be available on www.sam.gov.
- The Technical Library is available on www.sam.gov under notice ID 80JSC025_CLDC_TECH_LIBRARY.
- If you have not accessed the Technical Library before, please complete the Technical Library Request Form and refer to the instructions under notice ID 80JSC025_CLDC_TECH_LIBRARY prior to submitting a request via www.sam.gov.
- The Pre-Proposal Conference for this solicitation is anticipated to be held (virtual only) via Microsoft Teams on Thursday, October 15, 2026, starting at 1:00 p.m. Central Time. Attendance at the pre-proposal conference is recommended; however, attendance is neither required nor a prerequisite for proposal submission. No recordings or use of Super Intelligence (SI) note-taking capabilities of any kind are permitted. Participation is limited to a total of ten (10) individuals from each company/team.
Please RSVP for the Pre-Proposal Conference and One-on-Ones by Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 1:00 p.m. Central Time by sending an email to the following addresses:
Name: Ashley Chaves
Email: jsc-cldc@mail.nasa.gov
The RSVP email for the Pre-Proposal Conference must include the following:
Subject Line: 80JSC027R0004 Pre-Proposal RSVP
- Full company name
- Company address
- SAM Unique Entity ID and Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code
- Company point of contact name, phone number, and email address
- Company size/type (e.g., Large Business, Small Business, Women-Owned Small Business, etc.)
- Names, position descriptions, and email addresses of attendees (no more than ten (10) individuals may represent any party or team of parties)
The Pre-Proposal Conference One-on-Ones will be scheduled upon request and will be held in-person with a hybrid option at the Gilruth Center on October 16, 2026. One-on-Ones will be limited to Destination Prime Offerors. To request a One-on-One please send an email to the Contracting Officer, Ashley Chaves, at jsc-cldc@mail.nasa.gov.
The RSVP email for the Pre-Proposal One-on-One must include the following:
Subject Line: 80JSC027R0004 Pre-Proposal One-on-One RSVP
- Full company name
- Company address
- SAM Unique Entity ID and Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code
- Company point of contact name, phone number, and email address
- Company size/type (e.g., Large Business, Small Business, Women-Owned Small Business, etc.)
- Names, position descriptions, and email addresses of attendees (no more than eight (8) individuals may represent any party or team of parties)
- Preference on in-person, virtual, or hybrid attendance for One-on-One and identify which individuals will be attending in-person or virtually.
A confirmation email will be sent to acknowledge your reservation(s) and provide further instructions.
NASA anticipates releasing the Pre-Proposal Conference charts prior to the Pre-Proposal Conference. Please continue to monitor this SAM.gov posting for updates on the release of any documents, as well as the CLDC website.
NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Ombudsman for this acquisition is Donna M. Shafer, donna.m.shafer@nasa.gov, 281-483-4258.
It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor this website for amendments to this solicitation and other information. Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments.
Prospective offerors are encouraged to notify the Contracting Officer of their intent to submit an offer.
Files
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Notice history
| Notice | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| This notice | Solicitation | |
| Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC) Request for Proposal | Pre-Solicitation | |
| Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC) Draft Request for Proposal | Pre-Solicitation | |
| Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC) Technical Library | Special Notice |
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