Mars Telecommunications Orbiter
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center has a requirement for a Mars Telecommunications Orbiter (MTO). This opportunity is for the full-scale development, integration, launch, and on-orbit operations of an MTO to provide robust, continuous communications for Mars Sample Return (MSR) and future Mars exploration missions. This is a Special Notice for a firm fixed-price contract with a U.S. commercial provider, with eligibility restricted to specific companies as mandated by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Responses are due February 5, 2026.
Scope of Work
The MTO will support autonomous operations, onboard processing, and extended mission duration capabilities for Mars surface, orbital, and human exploration missions. The requirement covers the entire lifecycle from development through on-orbit operations.
Contract & Timeline
- Type: Special Notice (leading to a Firm Fixed-Price contract)
- Set-Aside/Restriction: Competition is restricted to U.S. companies that participated in NASA-funded Mars Sample Return (MSR) design studies in FY2024 or FY2025, as mandated by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) (Public Law 119-21). Eligible companies include Blue Origin, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Rocket Lab, SpaceX, Quantum Space, and Whittinghill Aerospace.
- Product Service Code: DG10 (Network Services)
- Response Due: February 5, 2026, 7:00 PM EST
- Published: January 22, 2026
- Place of Performance: Greenbelt, MD (Contracting Office)
Evaluation
NASA/GSFC will conduct a competition solely among the statutorily qualified vendors. The authority for this limited competition is 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1) as implemented by FAR 6.302-1(a)(2) and 51 U.S.C. 20306 (a)(1)(iii)(I). No capability statements are required from the identified eligible vendors, and none will be considered from other interested organizations.
Additional Notes
Oral communications will not be accepted in response to this notice. NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman information is available at the provided NASA link.