DRAFT Announcement of Opportunity (AO) -- 2025 Astrophysics Small Explorer (SMEX)
Closed Special Notice Posted
- Solicitation number
- NNH25ZDA008J
- Agency
-
Headquarters
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
This Special Notice pertains to NASA's 2026 Astrophysics Small Explorer (SMEX) program, issued by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Headquarters. The notice announces a competitive opportunity for Principal Investigator-led space science investigations and has undergone multiple amendments since its initial posting in January 2025. The final Announcement of Opportunity is expected to be released during the second quarter of 2026, with the solicitation number NNH25ZDA008J. The notice has been reactivated several times to provide community updates regarding timeline changes, cost cap modifications, and contact information updates. The program aims to support investigations that address NASA's objectives regarding understanding the Universe's origin, structure, evolution, and destiny, as well as searching for Earth-like planets.
The primary purpose of this opportunity is to solicit innovative space science proposals from the proposer community through a single-step selection process that will result in the selection of one NASA project. The formal AO release is scheduled for no earlier than April 2026, with a pre-proposal conference planned for approximately three weeks after release, a Notice of Intent due 45 days after release, and proposals due 90 days after release, with selection targeted for the first quarter of 2027. A significant update includes an increased cost cap of $190 million in FY 2026 dollars, up from the previously proposed $170 million. Eligible participants include U.S.-based educational institutions, industrial companies, non-profit organizations, NASA centers, and other U.S. Government agencies, with some restrictions on non-U.S. organization participation. Prospective investigators should submit questions and comments to John Wisniewski (Program Lead Scientist) and E. Lucien Cox (Program Executive) with a deadline of April 3, 2026, and should monitor the SOMA 2026 Astrophysics SMEX Acquisition website for updates and responses.
Notice text
4 versions
Update #4 · Latest ·
3rd Amendment: NASA is reactivating and amending this special notice to add a PDF file named “3rdNSPIRES_Email” that contains the text of the “2026 Astrophysics Small Explorer Announcement of Opportunity March 2026 Community Announcement”. If you have any questions regarding the attached, please contact (via email) both the listed primary and secondary points of contact and use "APD 2026 SMEX CA" in the subject line.
2nd Amendment: NASA is reactivating and amending this special notice to announce 1) a new primary POC; 2) that the release of the final AO text is expected no earlier than the 2nd quarter of calendar year 2026; and 3) to add a PDF file named “3rdNSPIRESemail”. After reading this 3rd PDF file, only via email contact both the listed primary and secondary points of contact and use "2026 SMEX AO" in the subject line.
1st Amendment: NASA is reactivating and amending this special notice to announce 1) that the release of the final AO text is postponed and 2) to add a PDF file named “2ndNSPIRESemail”. Only after reading this 2nd PDF file, only via email contact both the listed primary and secondary points of contact and use "DRAFT 2025 SMEX AO" in the subject line.
On or after the publication date of this SAM.gov special notice, the DRAFT full text for the Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for the 2025Astrophysics Small Explorer (SMEX) will be available for download from the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) at https://nspires.nasaprs.com. When you reach NSPIRES, click on the word “Solicitations” at the top of the NSPIRES landing page and then on the next page enter the number “NNH25ZDA008J” in the search box or use the direct URL provided below to the SMEX page on NSPIRES. The attached file entitled “1stNSPIRESemail” is a copy of text from an NSPIRES email sent to Science Mission Directorate List Serv subscribers.
After reading the full SMEX draft AO text available from NSPIRES, please address any comments and questions only via email to both the listed primary and secondary points of contact and use "DRAFT 2025 SMEX AO" in the subject line. This SAM.gov notice is not a complete or verbatim summary of the draft AO.
Update #3 ·
2nd Amendment: NASA is reactivating and amending this special notice to announce 1) a new primary POC; 2) that the release of the final AO text is expected no earlier than the 2nd quarter of calendar year 2026; and 3) to add a PDF file named “3rdNSPIRESemail”. After reading this 3rd PDF file, only via email contact both the listed primary and secondary points of contact and use "2026 SMEX AO" in the subject line.
1st Amendment: NASA is reactivating and amending this special notice to announce 1) that the release of the final AO text is postponed and 2) to add a PDF file named “2ndNSPIRESemail”. Only after reading this 2nd PDF file, only via email contact both the listed primary and secondary points of contact and use "DRAFT 2025 SMEX AO" in the subject line.
On or after the publication date of this SAM.gov special notice, the DRAFT full text for the Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for the 2025Astrophysics Small Explorer (SMEX) will be available for download from the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) at https://nspires.nasaprs.com. When you reach NSPIRES, click on the word “Solicitations” at the top of the NSPIRES landing page and then on the next page enter the number “NNH25ZDA008J” in the search box or use the direct URL provided below to the SMEX page on NSPIRES. The attached file entitled “1stNSPIRESemail” is a copy of text from an NSPIRES email sent to Science Mission Directorate List Serv subscribers.
After reading the full SMEX draft AO text available from NSPIRES, please address any comments and questions only via email to both the listed primary and secondary points of contact and use "DRAFT 2025 SMEX AO" in the subject line. This SAM.gov notice is not a complete or verbatim summary of the draft AO.
Update #2 ·
NASA is reactivating and amending this special notice to announce 1) that the release of the final AO text is postponed and 2) to add a PDF file named “2ndNSPIRESemail”. Only after reading this 2nd PDF file, only via email contact both the listed primary and secondary points of contact and use "DRAFT 2025 SMEX AO" in the subject line.
On or after the publication date of this SAM.gov special notice, the DRAFT full text for the Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for the 2025Astrophysics Small Explorer (SMEX) will be available for download from the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) at https://nspires.nasaprs.com. When you reach NSPIRES, click on the word “Solicitations” at the top of the NSPIRES landing page and then on the next page enter the number “NNH25ZDA008J” in the search box or use the direct URL provided below to the SMEX page on NSPIRES. The attached file entitled “1stNSPIRESemail” is a copy of text from an NSPIRES email sent to Science Mission Directorate List Serv subscribers.
After reading the full SMEX draft AO text available from NSPIRES, please address any comments and questions only via email to both the listed primary and secondary points of contact and use "DRAFT 2025 SMEX AO" in the subject line. This SAM.gov notice is not a complete or verbatim summary of the draft AO.
Update #1 ·
On or after the publication date of this SAM.gov special notice, the DRAFT full text for the Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for the 2025Astrophysics Small Explorer (SMEX) will be available for download from the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) at https://nspires.nasaprs.com. When you reach NSPIRES, click on the word “Solicitations” at the top of the NSPIRES landing page and then on the next page enter the number “NNH25ZDA008J” in the search box or use the direct URL provided below to the SMEX page on NSPIRES. The attached file entitled “1stNSPIRESemail” is a copy of text from an NSPIRES email sent to Science Mission Directorate List Serv subscribers.
After reading the full SMEX draft AO text available from NSPIRES, please address any comments and questions only via email to both the listed primary and secondary points of contact and use "DRAFT 2025 SMEX AO" in the subject line. This SAM.gov notice is not a complete or verbatim summary of the draft AO.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| 3rdNSPIRES_Email.pdf | ||
| 3rdNSPIRESemail.pdf | ||
| 2ndNSPIRESemail.pdf | ||
| 1stNSPIRESemail.pdf |
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