NASA Launch Services II (NLS II) 2026 On-Ramp
Closed Solicitation Posted
- Solicitation number
- RFP10-99-0021-Rev_T
- Agency
-
Kennedy 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
- Merritt Island, Florida, United States
- Points of contact
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
NASA Kennedy Space Center seeks proposals from domestic launch service providers to on-ramp new launch vehicles or existing contractors to propose additional launch services under the NASA Launch Services II (NLS II) indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract, with proposals due May 15, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. local time, and questions due March 20, 2026. This is an open, competitive solicitation with no set-aside.
Offerors must be domestic sources and AS9100 certified by contract award. Launch vehicles must be capable of delivering a minimum 250 kilogram payload to a 200 kilometer altitude orbit at 28.5 degrees inclination and must be certifiable to risk mitigation Category 2 or 3 per NASA Policy Directive 8610.7D. Place of performance is Merritt Island, Florida. The NAICS code is 336414, Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing.
The NLS II solicitation remains open through December 31, 2032, with on-ramp periods approximately each August or at other Government-announced times. The ordering period runs through June 30, 2030. The minimum contract value per award is $20,000, with a maximum combined value of $15 billion across all NLS II contracts. Award criteria emphasize technical capability and launch vehicle certification status, compliance with NASA's Statement of Work requirements, reasonableness of not-to-exceed pricing with quantity discounts, and past performance. Standard launch services include comprehensive mission integration, payload fairing and adapter provisions, launch vehicle preparation, telemetry support, contamination control to ISO 14644-1 Class 8 cleanroom standards, safety and reliability programs with AS9100 quality management, and government insight and approval rights. Payment is milestone-based from Authority to Proceed through thirty days post-launch, contingent on mission success determination. Liquidated damages for contractor-caused delays apply, with maximum penalties at the lesser of five percent of the highest-priced launch vehicle configuration or $9.4 million. Incumbents are United Launch Alliance, Northrop Grumman Space Systems, SpaceX, and Blue Origin. Amendment 2 added FAR 52.222-90 (DEI discrimination prohibition).
Notice text
3 versions
Update #3 · Latest ·
The NASA Launch Services (NLS) II Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued on September 4, 2009 and remains open for a period of twenty years from the effective date through the use of an innovative on-ramp provision found in Section C, Clause 2.0. The NLS II contract’s ordering period remains valid through December 31, 2032. The RFP has resulted in the award of Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) task order contracts to United Launch Services, LLC., Northrop Grumman Space Systems, Space Exploration Technologies, and Blue Origin. On or about each August during the life of the solicitation, or at any other time established via synopsis, the Government will accept proposals from new launch service providers for IDIQ contracts and proposals from existing IDIQ contractors for additional launch services.
Launch services proposed under the NLS II solicitation shall only include launch vehicles capable of being certified to risk mitigation Category 2 and 3 in accordance with NASA Policy Directive 8610.7D, Launch Services Risk Mitigation Policy for NASA-Owned and/or NASA-Sponsored Payloads/Missions. These launch services, at a minimum, shall be capable of delivering a 250kg payload to orbit at an altitude of 200km and a launch inclination of 28.5 degrees. A complete set of minimum contract requirements will be set forth in Attachment E3, Paragraph 1.0 of the NLS II RFP when released. Specifically, in addition to the launch vehicle requirements described above, offerors must be domestic launch service providers and must be AS9100 certified by the date of contract award.
The time and date required for receipt of proposals is on or before close of business, 4:30 p.m. local time, May 15, 2026. All questions should be submitted via email to the Contracting Officer on or before close of business, 4:30 p.m. local time, March 20, 2026.
Your proposal must be signed by an official of the company who is authorized to bind the company. Your proposal must also contain a statement that the offer is firm for a period of 180 days from the closing date indicated above. You must provide the company name and complete address (including street, city, state, and zip code) and the Data Universal Numbering System number applicable to that name and address.
The RFP does not commit the Government to award a contract nor does it obligate the Government to pay for any cost incurred in the preparation and submittal of proposals in anticipation of a contract. The Government reserves the right to reject any and all proposals should such action be in the best interest of the Government.
An ombudsman has been appointed in accordance with NFS 1852.215-84.
The proposal is to be dropped into the following Box Link: (https://nasagov.app.box.com/f/90320d679507450fb47874724c42be34) and a email sent to the Contracting Officer, Rachel Edwards at Rachel.t.edwards@nasa.gov, to verify submission.
Amendment 1: The questions and answers have been attached. Additionally, we have added a MS Word copy of the RFP with the tracked changes that resulted from the questions, and a copy of the LSP-PD-120.05 Please also note that the proposal due date has changed to 4:30 p.m. local time, May 15, 2026.
Amendment 2: Executive Order (E.O.) 14398, titled 'Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors,' requires the addition of FAR Clause 52.222-90 to the solicitation. No other changes were made to the solicitation.
Update #2 ·
The NASA Launch Services (NLS) II Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued on September 4, 2009 and remains open for a period of twenty years from the effective date through the use of an innovative on-ramp provision found in Section C, Clause 2.0. The NLS II contract’s ordering period remains valid through December 31, 2032. The RFP has resulted in the award of Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) task order contracts to United Launch Services, LLC., Northrop Grumman Space Systems, Space Exploration Technologies, and Blue Origin. On or about each August during the life of the solicitation, or at any other time established via synopsis, the Government will accept proposals from new launch service providers for IDIQ contracts and proposals from existing IDIQ contractors for additional launch services.
Launch services proposed under the NLS II solicitation shall only include launch vehicles capable of being certified to risk mitigation Category 2 and 3 in accordance with NASA Policy Directive 8610.7D, Launch Services Risk Mitigation Policy for NASA-Owned and/or NASA-Sponsored Payloads/Missions. These launch services, at a minimum, shall be capable of delivering a 250kg payload to orbit at an altitude of 200km and a launch inclination of 28.5 degrees. A complete set of minimum contract requirements will be set forth in Attachment E3, Paragraph 1.0 of the NLS II RFP when released. Specifically, in addition to the launch vehicle requirements described above, offerors must be domestic launch service providers and must be AS9100 certified by the date of contract award.
The time and date required for receipt of proposals is on or before close of business, 4:30 p.m. local time, May 15, 2026. All questions should be submitted via email to the Contracting Officer on or before close of business, 4:30 p.m. local time, March 20, 2026.
Your proposal must be signed by an official of the company who is authorized to bind the company. Your proposal must also contain a statement that the offer is firm for a period of 180 days from the closing date indicated above. You must provide the company name and complete address (including street, city, state, and zip code) and the Data Universal Numbering System number applicable to that name and address.
The RFP does not commit the Government to award a contract nor does it obligate the Government to pay for any cost incurred in the preparation and submittal of proposals in anticipation of a contract. The Government reserves the right to reject any and all proposals should such action be in the best interest of the Government.
An ombudsman has been appointed in accordance with NFS 1852.215-84.
The proposal is to be dropped into the following Box Link: (https://nasagov.app.box.com/f/90320d679507450fb47874724c42be34) and a email sent to the Contracting Officer, Rachel Edwards at Rachel.t.edwards@nasa.gov, to verify submission.
Amendment 1: The questions and answers have been attached. Additionally, we have added a MS Word copy of the RFP with the tracked changes that resulted from the questions, and a copy of the LSP-PD-120.05 Please also note that the proposal due date has changed to 4:30 p.m. local time, May 15, 2026.
Update #1 ·
The NASA Launch Services (NLS) II Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued on September 4, 2009 and remains open for a period of twenty years from the effective date through the use of an innovative on-ramp provision found in Section C, Clause 2.0. The NLS II contract’s ordering period remains valid through December 31, 2032. The RFP has resulted in the award of Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) task order contracts to United Launch Services, LLC., Northrop Grumman Space Systems, Space Exploration Technologies, and Blue Origin. On or about each August during the life of the solicitation, or at any other time established via synopsis, the Government will accept proposals from new launch service providers for IDIQ contracts and proposals from existing IDIQ contractors for additional launch services.
Launch services proposed under the NLS II solicitation shall only include launch vehicles capable of being certified to risk mitigation Category 2 and 3 in accordance with NASA Policy Directive 8610.7D, Launch Services Risk Mitigation Policy for NASA-Owned and/or NASA-Sponsored Payloads/Missions. These launch services, at a minimum, shall be capable of delivering a 250kg payload to orbit at an altitude of 200km and a launch inclination of 28.5 degrees. A complete set of minimum contract requirements will be set forth in Attachment E3, Paragraph 1.0 of the NLS II RFP when released. Specifically, in addition to the launch vehicle requirements described above, offerors must be domestic launch service providers and must be AS9100 certified by the date of contract award.
The time and date required for receipt of proposals is on or before close of business, 4:30 p.m. local time, May 11, 2026. All questions should be submitted via email to the Contracting Officer on or before close of business, 4:30 p.m. local time, March 20, 2026.
Your proposal must be signed by an official of the company who is authorized to bind the company. Your proposal must also contain a statement that the offer is firm for a period of 180 days from the closing date indicated above. You must provide the company name and complete address (including street, city, state, and zip code) and the Data Universal Numbering System number applicable to that name and address.
The RFP does not commit the Government to award a contract nor does it obligate the Government to pay for any cost incurred in the preparation and submittal of proposals in anticipation of a contract. The Government reserves the right to reject any and all proposals should such action be in the best interest of the Government.
An ombudsman has been appointed in accordance with NFS 1852.215-84.
The proposal is to be dropped into the following Box Link: (https://nasagov.app.box.com/f/90320d679507450fb47874724c42be34) and a email sent to the Contracting Officer, Rachel Edwards at Rachel.t.edwards@nasa.gov, to verify submission.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| 3. RFP10-99-0021 Rev T_Amendment 2.docx | DOCX document | |
| 2. Matrix of Changes_Amendment 2.pdf | ||
| FAR 52.222-90.pdf | ||
| 3. RFP10-99-0021 Rev T_Amendment 1.docx | DOCX document | |
| LSP-PD-120.05_Rev_D-2025-02-03.pdf | ||
| 2026 On-Ramp Questions and Answers.pdf | ||
| 2. Matrix of Changes_Amendment 1.pdf | ||
| 3. RFP10-99-0021 Rev T.pdf | ||
| 2. Matrix of Changes.pdf |
Notice history
| Notice | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| This notice | Solicitation | |
| NASA Launch Services II (NLS-II) 2025 On-Ramp | Pre-Solicitation |
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