Procurement of mechanical engineering support for the development of Mars Gas and Liquid Extraction Module (GLEM) technologies and prototyping of custom mechanical components for the Mars Sample Pre-Processing (SPP) project at GSFC

NASA's Shared Services Center has published a Special Notice for the sole source procurement of mechanical engineering support services related to Mars exploration technology development. The agency intends to award a contract to Honeybee Robotics LLC of Altadena, California, for the development of Mars Gas and Liquid Extraction Module (GLEM) technologies and prototyping of custom mechanical components for the Mars Sample Pre-Processing (SPP) project at Goddard Space Flight Center. The procurement is being conducted under simplified acquisition procedures with a NAICS code of 541715 for research and development in physical and engineering sciences. NASA has determined that Honeybee Robotics is the sole provider capable of performing this specialized work. The contract will support critical technology development for future Mars missions focused on sample extraction and processing capabilities.

The primary objective of this procurement is to design, develop, and test gas and liquid extraction module technologies that will support Mars mission objectives, specifically targeting the extraction of materials from high-ice fraction Mars analog samples. Interested organizations must submit their capabilities and qualifications in writing to the designated procurement contacts no later than 3:00 p.m. Central Standard Time on July 28, 2025, with oral communications not being acceptable. The government will evaluate these responses solely to determine whether to conduct the procurement on a competitive basis, though the decision to maintain sole source procurement remains at the government's discretion. The work involves designing standalone liquid and gas extraction modules that can interface with sample acquisition and analysis systems, including integration with GSFC instrument breadboards such as electrospray ionization mass spectrometers. The period of performance extends from July 15, 2025, through April 30, 2026, with work conducted at the contractor's facility for design and development, followed by integration and testing at NASA/GSFC.