SWO Access to Space Request For Information
Closed Pre-Solicitation Posted
- Solicitation number
- RFI-SWO-A2S-Feb2026
- Agency
-
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Department of Commerce
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 336414 Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing
- PSC
- Not on record
- Place of performance
- Greenbelt, Maryland, United States
- Points of contact
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service is seeking information from industry regarding launch integration, launch services, and related support capabilities for future space weather observation spacecraft under the Space Weather Next Program. NOAA is soliciting responses to understand commercial launch options, spacecraft-to-launch vehicle integration approaches, co-manifested payload integration capabilities, launch site processing support, and regulatory coordination services. The RFI addresses nine strategic questions covering commercial launch experience, mission management approaches, bundled service offerings, contract mechanisms, government risk participation, procurement schedules, cost and risk drivers, trade study incorporation, and launch failure mitigation strategies. Respondents must provide company information, projected costs, business models, risk mitigation plans, and contractual arrangement options including FAR-based contracts, Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, grants, cooperative agreements, and Other Transaction Agreements. The deadline for responses is 11:59 PM Eastern Time on March 5, 2026, and submissions must be emailed to Maryann.Orellana@noaa.gov with the subject line "RFI-SWO-A2S-Feb2026."
This opportunity is not designated as a set-aside contract. The initial notional target mission is SOLAR-A, scheduled for launch in the fourth quarter of 2029 to the Lagrange 1 orbit, with a primary payload not exceeding 650 kilograms and specific dimensional and interface requirements including a 937-millimeter clamp band mechanical interface and two 61-pin electrical connectors. The mission will accommodate up to two co-manifested payloads with combined mass not exceeding 1,000 kilograms using 8-inch, 15-inch, or 24-inch bolted interfaces. For SOLAR-A specifically, respondents must provide rough-order-of-magnitude pricing with feasibility assessments and detailed assumptions. No specific award value or budget range has been disclosed in this pre-solicitation notice, and this RFI does not guarantee a follow-on Request for Proposal or contract award, though responses may influence future government procurement decisions.
Notice text
Introduction and Background:
The Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service’s (NESDIS) Office of Space Weather Observations (SWO) supports the United States National Space Weather Strategy by implementing and sustaining operational observation platforms, capabilities, and supporting observations to increase capabilities of data-driven Space Weather models. The Space Weather Next (SW Next) program, managed by SWO furthers the NESDIS strategic continuity of essential remote and in-situ space-based space weather measurements that address the NESDIS strategic objective to “Advance space weather observational leadership in all applicable orbits to meet mission needs.” This program will maintain a long-term sustained capability for operational space weather observations as well as ensure continued data stewardship and access. The SW Next program includes the existing Space weather Observations at L1 to Advance Readiness (SOLAR) project that will continue and provide resilience for the measurement sets gathered by the Space Weather Follow-On Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) mission. Anticipated future SW Next projects would provide continuity and resilience for the measurement sets gathered by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES)-R Series space weather observations and other geosynchronous space weather observations. Analysis of alternatives to satisfy these requirements, notionally identified as Space Weather Geo (SW GEO) is ongoing.
The SW Next program is a joint development and acquisition effort between NOAA and NASA. NOAA’s updated 2025 Management Control Plan for space system acquisition establishes an updated relationship between NESDIS and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) for acquisition, development and deployment of NOAA space systems. This “Access To Space” RFI seeks information from industry regarding interest, capabilities, and options for providing launch integration and launch services for future NOAA Space weather systems via direct contracts with industry either acquired through NOAA/NESDIS or through NASA/GSFC. This RFI also seeks innovative and cost effective commercial industry partner ideas for future arrangements where the “Access to Space” services could be added to the scope of work for vendors who’ve been contracted for the development of future SW Next program spacecraft (i.e. a bundled contract approach).
Please view "SWO Access to Space RFI Attachment" for complete information.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| SWO Access to Space RFI Attachment.pdf |
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