Paragon Space Development Corporation

Paragon Space Development Corporation, a small business manufacturer based in Tucson, Arizona, designs and builds advanced life support systems, environmental control technologies, and thermal management hardware for space exploration as a prime contractor on 94% of recent federal awards. The company competes predominantly full-and-open (no set-asides on most production contracts) but holds a substantial Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) portfolio where total small business set-asides recur across Phase I and Phase II research awards.

Paragon's capability portfolio centers on the Brine Processor Assembly (BPA) — a critical life support system that recovers water from urine and other sources for the International Space Station — along with environmental control systems, thermal management solutions, and spacesuit and lunar habitat technologies. The company's representative work includes a $9.3 million single-award Indefinite Delivery Contract from NASA Johnson Space Center (awarded April 1, 2026, ceiling through September 30, 2031) authorizing delivery orders for BPA bladder production, design updates, operational maintenance, and configuration design reviews; a $1.94 million Office of Naval Research SBIR Phase II contract (awarded July 22, 2025) for research and development extending through July 31, 2028; a $1.84 million Johnson Space Center delivery order (awarded May 22, 2025) for build, test, and delivery of 60 BPA bladders; a $1.7 million Army SBIR Phase II contract (awarded September 20, 2024) for environmental control and life support technology development; and a $691,739 NASA project grant (awarded May 8, 2023) for design, construction, testing, and operation of a Condensate Separator for Microgravity Conditions (COSMIC) prototype.

Customer concentration is heavily NASA-weighted. The top five customer organizations account for 68% of awards by count and 87% of combined potential value. NASA Johnson Space Center leads by potential value ($35.9 million across 33 awards) and dominates Paragon's production and sustainment work on the ISS; however, by pure award volume, NASA Shared Services Center carries the largest count (40 awards, $14.3 million combined potential value) driven by SBIR and STTR research phases. NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center anchors $45.3 million in combined potential value across only two awards — a signal of large-ceiling contracts or IDVs in that portfolio. The Department of the Navy (Office of Naval Research and Naval Sea Systems Command combined) accounts for 12 awards and $5.2 million combined potential value, with research and prototype thermal management work routed through GE Energy Power Conversion Naval Systems, Northrop Grumman, and Sierra Space in recent subcontract positions.

Paragon holds a single-award IDC (80JSC021D0007) with Johnson Space Center valued at $9.3 million through March 2026, with 17 historical task orders totaling $7.9 million combined potential value. The newly awarded April 2026 IDC to Johnson Space Center carries a $14.76 million ceiling through September 2031 — effectively Paragon's replacement vehicle for sustained BPA support. The company places task orders under NASA blanket purchase agreements and legacy information-analysis-center contracts at nominal volume.

Activity trajectory shows year-over-year volatility: eight awards in 2022, twelve in 2023, seven in 2024, twelve in 2025, and three awards through early 2026. Combined dollars obligated ($227.6 million) exceed combined potential value ($130.5 million) by 74%, indicating substantial prior performance and invoicing. Six awards (combined potential value $5.5 million) reach ultimate completion inside the next twenty-four months and face recompete exposure. The newly awarded April 2026 single-award IDC reduces near-term recompete risk on BPA sustainment work.

Paragon's subcontractor footprint is minimal (6% of recent awards) and concentrated in non-traditional areas. The company performs thermal management and radiator-panel-paint services as a sub to GE Energy Power Conversion Naval Systems on Navy hybrid converter and marine propulsion efforts (two awards, July 2025 and October 2024); supports Northrop Grumman on ISS-related NeXTSTEP habitat-augmentation-module work (two awards, March and May 2025); and delivers prototype Li-ion battery alarm systems to Science Applications International Corporation on Navy expeditionary weapon systems and advanced battle management system work (three awards, April 2023). Subcontract engagement does not anchor Paragon's business model.

Primary NAICS distribution reflects the research-and-development posture: 59 awards under Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences, 45 under research and development excluding biotechnology, and 4 under engineering services. Top PSC codes track space R&D and applied research (37 and 20 awards respectively), with general science and technology R&D administrative expenses representing 12 awards. The company has served 21 distinct federal customer agencies across NASA, Navy, Army, and civil agencies since 2002, with no evidence of grant sub-award positions or teaming on large primes outside its subcontract footprint.

Spacecraft Systems Analysis, Human Factors, Life Support Systems & Design Analysis, Design Engineering and Logistics, SETA, ECLSS, Payload Integration, Thermal Loading, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Bioastronautics, Spacecraft radiators, spacecraft water processing systems, Category 1 contaminated water diving systems, trace contaminant control systems, precision spacecraft and aircraft tubing. orbital welding.