About this opportunity
AI summaryThe Department of the Air Force seeks market research information to shape an acquisition strategy for a Cislunar Space System. The required scope includes up to five space vehicles with spacecraft buses, government payload accommodations, integration and testing, a ground segment, space launch solutions, communications integration, and operations and maintenance to meet mission needs in late CY29. The agency intends to award up to five firm-fixed-price preliminary design study contracts based on market research. Failure to respond may prevent participation in subsequent program acquisitions. Respondents must submit electronic PDF responses limited to 15 pages in 12-point font, along with a completed Summary Response Template, no later than 12:00 noon EDT on November 13, 2026. Submissions must define a complete system and provide rough order of magnitude cost estimates.
Scope of work
- Up to five space vehicles requiring a spacecraft bus
- Accommodation of a Government-provided payload
- Space vehicle assembly, integration, and test
- Ground Segment for tasking, mission planning, scheduling, and command and control
- Launch segment integration on a government-provided National Security Space Launch booster
- Communication Segment supporting narrowband and wideband capabilities
- Operations and maintenance of the System
- On-orbit initialization and calibration
How proposals are evaluated
| Criterion | Weight / scoring |
|---|---|
| Technical risk associated with technical approach and Concept of Operations | Not specified |
| Schedule risk associated with ability to meet notional schedule objectives | Not specified |
| Production risk associated with facilities, capital investments, domain expertise, and AI&T approach | Not specified |
| Respondent or respondent team overall ability to execute the program | Not specified |
Minimum qualifications
- Recent (within the past three years) relevant cislunar domain expertise
- Experience managing the development of classified space systems for the Government
- Proposed bus design based on existing cislunar qualified bus flown within 3 years or through AI&T within 24 months
Documents to include with your response
- Cover page with company name, primary and secondary POC details, and submittal date
- Technical response (no more than 15 pages)
- Rough Order of Magnitude cost estimate
- Concept drawings illustrating bus form factor and fairing packing efficiency
- Completed Summary Response Template
Key dates
- Questions due
- 1200 noon EDT 06 November 2026
- Responses due
- 1200 noon EDT 13 November 2026
- Authority to Proceed for preliminary design work
- 2QFY27
- Initial Launch Capability
- Late CY29
- Operational Initial On-orbit Capability
- CY31
How to submit
- Method
- Electronic via email (or contact POCs for classified network submission)
- Instructions
- Send to designated POCs in Microsoft Word 2016 or PDF format, maximum 15 pages (excluding the Summary Response Template), 12-point proportional font.
Federal notice details
- Solicitation number
- 10302026-01
- Agency
- Department of Defense
- Buying office
- Dept of the AIR Force
- Notice type
- Special Notice
- Responses due
- Nov 24, 2026, 12:00 PM ET
- Posted on SAM.gov
- Nov 2, 2026
- NAICS
- 541715 · Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)
- Product/service code
- 1555
- Set-aside
- No Set aside used
- Place of performance
- Alexandria, VA
- Contracting contact
- Shelby C. Sommer
shelby.sommer@us.af.mil - Additional contact
- Joseph DeRienzo
joseph.derienzo@us.af.mil
Source: SAM.gov. Read the official notice for the complete description and current instructions.
Incumbent and award research
No incumbent history found for this requirement. The notice does not cite a current contract, and no earlier award from this buying office matches it.
Market context
Awards in the same category (Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)). This is not this requirement's award history.
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23,038 contract awards in this NAICS over the period.
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Source: USAspending.gov federal award data (U.S. federal public data). A contract is called the incumbent only when the notice or its documents cite it by number.