Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC) Request for Proposal
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION.NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION.NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTER · Response deadline: Tue, 08 Dec 2026
What the government is buying
NASA is soliciting proposals for the Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC), a procurement to support commercial space station development that will succeed the International Space Station. This is a major vehicle-acquisition effort under NASA's broader strategy to transition NASA astronaut activities and research in LEO to commercially owned and operated platforms.
Work under CLDC typically spans the design, development, launch, operation, and eventual de-orbit of a commercial destination capable of supporting NASA crew and cargo requirements. This includes crew accommodations, life-support systems, power generation, thermal control, and docking capabilities. The contract structure may involve both development milestones and long-term service procurement for utilization. See the solicitation for the complete scope of required capabilities, performance specifications, and any option periods or quantities.
Key facts
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Agency | NASA Johnson Space Center |
| Notice type | Solicitation |
| Solicitation number | 80JSC027R0004 |
| NAICS | 336414 |
| Set-aside | No Set aside used |
| Response deadline | December 8, 2026, 1:00 PM CT |
| Place of performance | Houston, TX |
Who can bid
This procurement has no set-aside, meaning it is open to all responsible sources regardless of business size or socioeconomic status. Both large aerospace primes and small businesses may submit proposals. However, given the scale and technical complexity of human-rated spacecraft development, NASA anticipates proposals from experienced teams with substantial spaceflight heritage.
Small businesses can participate as prime contractors only if they demonstrate the requisite technical, managerial, and financial capacity to execute a multi-billion-dollar, decade-long spacecraft development program. More realistically, small businesses in NAICS 336414 (Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing) or related fields should position themselves as subcontractors or joint-venture partners to prime offerors. Subcontracting opportunities may exist in specialized areas such as structures, avionics, software, life-support subsystems, thermal materials, or ground operations support.
If bidding as a small business prime, ensure your Size Standard certification is current in SAM.gov and that you can meet any applicable flow-down requirements. See the solicitation for specific experience thresholds, bonding requirements, and any teaming restrictions.
How to put together a competitive bid
Space station procurements are evaluated primarily on technical merit, past performance, and price, with technical risk reduction weighted heavily. To compete effectively:
Assemble a credentialed team. NASA evaluates critical personnel depth and relevant human-spaceflight experience. Identify astronauts, chief engineers, or program managers with demonstrated ISS or commercial crew backgrounds.
Demonstrate hardware maturity. Offerors with existing habitat prototypes, testing campaigns, or international partnership agreements should highlight these. NASA favors proven technical baselines over paper designs.
Address safety and crew-rating comprehensively. Human-rating certification for NASA astronauts requires extensive hazard analysis, fault tolerance, and verification planning. Your proposal should show understanding of NASA-STD-3001 and related requirements.
Structure pricing for long-term affordability. CLDC likely involves a combination of fixed-price development milestones and cost-plus or firm-fixed-price service periods. Show transparency in cost buildup and realism in out-year operations pricing.
Articulate commercial viability beyond NASA. A sustainable business model with non-NASA revenue streams (tourism, research, international astronauts, in-space manufacturing) strengthens your proposal's long-term value proposition.
Submit required representations. Verify SAM.gov registration, representations and certifications, and any NASA-specific forms. Allow ample time for proposal assembly; CLDC proposals typically run hundreds of pages with volumes for technical, management, cost, and past performance.
Next steps
- Read the full solicitation on SAM.gov at solicitation number 80JSC027R0004 to understand the detailed requirements, evaluation criteria, proposal instructions, and any amendments.
- Note the deadline: Proposals are due December 8, 2026, by 1:00 PM Central Time. Late submissions are generally not accepted.
- Register in SAM.gov if not already active, and monitor the SAM.gov notice page for amendments or Q&A releases.
- Attend any industry briefings or pre-proposal conferences announced in the solicitation; these are often the only opportunity to clarify requirements directly with NASA.
- Begin teaming discussions immediately if you lack full capability alone—lead time for substantive partnerships in aerospace is substantial.
View the official notice on SAM.gov →