Moon to Mars NextSTEP-3 Appendix B, Architecture Studies

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation (RFP No. 80MSFC26R0003, Appendix B) is for the "Moon to Mars Architectural Studies" under the NextSTEP-3 Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). NASA seeks applied concept development, risk reduction, and special studies to address architecture gaps identified in the Architecture Definition Document (ADD). The goal is to build a knowledge foundation for informed programmatic decisions regarding lunar and Mars mission capabilities, including infrastructure, transportation, habitation, mission Concept of Operations (CONOPS), and science.

• Applied concept development, risk reduction, and special studies.

• Efforts must address architecture gaps identified in the ADD.

• Focus areas include lunar and Mars mission capabilities: infrastructure, transportation, habitation, CONOPS, and science.

• Work is structured across maturity levels: Exploration (CLIN 0001), Refinement (CLIN 0002), and Maturation (CLIN 0003), plus Risk Reduction (CLIN 0004) and Special Studies (CLIN 0005).

• NASA intends to establish a Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) with a combined maximum value not to exceed $500M over five years.

• Task orders under the MATOC will be Firm-Fixed Price with performance-based milestone payments.

• Standalone Firm-Fixed Price contracts may be awarded for open-topic opportunities.

• Each MATOC holder will receive an initial award of $500 for a kickoff meeting.

• Intent to Submit: By February 6, 2026, 5:00 p.m. CT.

• Proposal Submission Deadline: February 20, 2026, 5:00 p.m. CT.

• Submission Method: Electronically via a provided Box link.

• Questions Deadline: February 6, 2026, 5:00 p.m. CT.

• Evaluation: Proposals will be evaluated on their own merits; NASA may award without negotiations. Specific evaluation criteria for MATOC membership, directed-topic task orders, and open-topic opportunities are detailed in the document.

• Eligible Offerors are U.S. institutions (companies, universities, nonprofit organizations).

• NASA civil servants, JPL employees, national laboratories, and FFRDCs cannot be Prime Contractors but may be team members.

• NASA anticipates awarding to qualified Large and Small Business concerns.

• This solicitation is Appendix B under the NextSTEP-3 Omnibus BAA.

• Offerors must ensure their SAM.gov registrations are current.

• Taking exception to model contract terms may result in ineligibility.

• NASA will not pay for proposal preparation costs.

• Attachments include Model Contract, Sample Task Order, Past Performance Questionnaire, and OCI Plan Instructions.

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides responses to questions submitted by industry regarding the NextSTEP-3 Appendix B solicitation (Solicitation Number: 80MSFC26R0003).

• Industry Day Materials: Slides and recordings from the Industry Day were uploaded to SAM.gov on January 28.
• MATOC Membership: NASA anticipates yearly evaluations for MATOC on-ramp proposals. Interested companies must submit proposals according to Section 5.2 of the solicitation.
• Proposal Submission: Details for submitting proposals are in Section 5.2 of the solicitation. The proposal due date is stated in Section 3.3.
• Past Performance: The Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) format is optional. Offerors may submit other official performance documentation containing the same information. Performance is limited to efforts within five years of the proposal due date.
• Teaming: MATOC awardees can add subcontractors for specific task orders. Two separate MATOC awardees cannot submit a joint bid for a task order; they may team by one adding the other as a subcontractor or forming a joint venture.
• Open-Topic vs. Directed Calls: Submissions for open-topic opportunities must not have identical concepts to directed calls. NASA intends to provide advance notice of directed calls to help avoid conflicts.
• Corporate Contributions: Corporate contributions are optional for directed-topic calls and open-topic standalone contracts, and not required for initial MATOC awards.
• Period of Performance: Concept development and refinement efforts are typically 3-12 months. Risk reduction activities are typically 12-18 months. Special studies will vary. These are subject to change and depend on the offeror's proposal.

Several sections of the solicitation have been updated based on these questions, including clarifications on MATOC on-ramping, past performance references, and executive summary requirements. Offerors should refer to the final solicitation for all updated details.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a "SAMPLE Task Order: Habitation Augmentation Study Request for Directed-Topic Task Order Proposal (RTOP)". It solicits proposals for lunar surface habitation studies and risk reduction activities to inform NASA's lunar surface exploration strategy and operations.

This RTOP is divided into two Work Areas:

• Work Area One: Trade Study of Habitation Augmentation Options

  • Focuses on how lunar surface habitation elements can augment other surface assets and enhance capabilities.
  • Requires a Habitable Volume Assessment and Outfitting Evaluations (internal and external).
  • Assumes a starting surface infrastructure including a Human Landing System, initial habitation module, Pressurized Rover, and Lunar Terrain Vehicle.
  • Deliverables include a study plan, status reviews, a final presentation, and a final report with CAD layouts and risk identification.
  • Duration: No more than 3 months from Authority to Proceed (ATP).

• Work Area Two: Habitation Augmentation Risk Reduction Activities

  • Focuses on risk reduction activities to improve understanding and demonstrate feasibility of habitation augmentation systems.
  • Proposals should describe proposed activities, testing methods, facilities, and partnerships.
  • Assumes similar starting surface infrastructure as Work Area One.
  • Deliverables include a study plan, status reviews, a final presentation, and a final report including testing/demo results.
  • Duration: No more than 12 months from ATP.

This document outlines specific study and risk reduction tasks related to lunar surface habitation. Bidders can propose to one, some, or all Work Areas based on their capabilities. The document details the scope of work, assumptions (including initial surface infrastructure and exploration phases), required assessments, and expected deliverables for each Work Area. It also specifies schedules and milestones for each area. Bidders must clearly indicate which Work Area(s) their proposal addresses and provide specific information as outlined in Solicitation Section 5.3.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document provides instructions for submitting an Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI) Plan as an attachment to a solicitation. It outlines the specific requirements and information that offerors must include in their OCI Plan to ensure compliance with FAR 9.5.

• Point of Contact: Identification of an OCI point of contact.
• Understanding of OCI: Demonstration of knowledge regarding OCI principles and types of harm.
• Company Procedures: Description of processes for identifying, analyzing, resolving, and reporting OCIs.
• Employee Notification & Training: Methods for informing employees about OCI requirements and training protocols.
• Breach Reporting: Procedures for reporting OCI breaches to the contracting officer.
• Affiliated Companies: Identification of affiliated entities and coordination procedures.
• OCI Reporting Process: Details on reporting potential/actual OCIs during contract performance.
• Subcontractor Flow-down: Explanation of how OCI provisions will apply to subcontractors.
• Sanctions: Definition of organizational and employee sanctions for OCI violations.
• Existing OCIs: Assertion regarding the existence of current OCIs and a list of past/present NASA contracts and subcontracts (within the last five years) to assess potential conflicts.
• Other Interests: Disclosure of financial or other interests that could create an OCI.
• Mitigation Strategies: Explanation of how potential OCIs will be avoided, neutralized, or mitigated.

This document is critical for bidders as it dictates the specific content and format required for their OCI Plan submission. Failure to comply with these instructions may impact the evaluation of their proposal. Bidders must carefully review and address each requirement to demonstrate their understanding and management of potential organizational conflicts of interest.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is Attachment C, the Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ), for the NextSTEP-3 solicitation. Its purpose is to gather information from organizations that have had first-hand experience with offerors to evaluate their past performance and ability to perform on the proposed effort. This information is a key consideration in the proposal evaluation process for the Moon to Mars Architecture Studies initiative.

The questionnaire is divided into several sections:

• Contract Identification: Details about the contract being reviewed (contractor, number, type, period of performance, dollar value, description of work, and contractor's role).
• Customer or Agency Identification: Information about the customer or agency for whom the work was performed.
• Respondent Identification: Details about the individual completing the questionnaire.
• Performance Information: This section includes detailed questions and a rating scale (Exceptional, Very Good, Satisfactory, Marginal, Unsatisfactory, Not Applicable) covering:
  • Technical Performance (understanding requirements, deliverable quality, meeting standards, system engineering, QA program, technical depth).
  • Program Management (effectiveness, personnel, problem resolution, responsiveness, schedule adherence, subcontractor management, communication, alternative methods, workforce hiring/retention).
  • Cost Performance (cost forecasting accuracy, meeting forecasted costs, alerting to unforeseen costs, cost reporting).
• General Comment: A section for overall remarks on the contractor's ability to execute.

While this document is completed by past customers of the offeror, it is crucial for potential bidders to understand what aspects of their past performance will be evaluated. Bidders should be aware that their performance on previous contracts, as rated by their customers using this questionnaire, will significantly influence the government's decision. The questionnaire guides the type of information that will be sought regarding technical execution, program management, and cost control.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation (80MSFC26R0003) is for concept exploration, research, analysis, experimental, and specialized study services to support NASA's technology development and mission concept maturation activities. The work emphasizes analytical investigation and knowledge advancement rather than hardware development or system implementation. Specific requirements will be defined in individual Task Orders (TOs) issued under this Multiple-Award Task Order Contract (MATOC).

The contract is structured around five Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs), each representing a distinct area of work:

• CLIN 0001 - Concept Exploration: Initial investigation and preliminary research into concepts' alignment with NASA strategic goals.
• CLIN 0002 - Concept Refinement: Comprehensive mission concept investigations to assess feasibility and program alignment.
• CLIN 0003 - Concept Maturation: Advancing research through derivation of functional requirements and design space exploration.
• CLIN 0004 - Risk Reduction: Experimental research to investigate and characterize critical technical, programmatic, and operational risks.
• CLIN 0005 - Special Studies: Specialized investigations requiring focused expertise outside the main CLINs.

All activities emphasize analytical investigation and knowledge advancement. Specific requirements and deliverables will be detailed in individual Task Orders.

• Contract Type: Multiple-Award Task Order Contract (MATOC).

• Task Order Pricing: All Task Orders will be Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP).

• Period of Performance: Base Period is 24 months, with an Option Period 1 of 12 months.

• Contract Ceiling: Not-To-Exceed (NTE) contract ceiling is TBD.

• Funding: Funds will be obligated at the Task Order level.

• Proposal Submission Deadline: Offers are due by 5:00 PM CT on February 20, 2026.

• Evaluation Factors: Not explicitly detailed in the provided sections, but Section M references "Evaluation of Options."

Not specified in the provided sections.

• The solicitation includes numerous FAR and NFS clauses covering various aspects of contract performance, administration, and compliance.
• Pricing for work will be established at the Task Order level.
• The agency's overarching requirement is to send humans to missions beyond low Earth orbit and ultimately to the lunar surface and Mars.

Other / Unclassified

This document is a presentation from NASA's "NextSTEP-3: Moon to Mars Architectural Studies Industry Day" held on January 22, 2026. It outlines the purpose of the industry day, which is to seek commercial, academic, and non-profit partners to help develop the Moon to Mars architecture. The presentation details the focus areas for this development, including infrastructure, transportation, habitation, mission operations, and lunar/Mars science. It also describes two pathways for participation: Directed-Topic Calls and Open-Topic Opportunities.

Key sections cover:

• Agenda: Outlines the topics discussed during the industry day, including architecture overviews, contracting logistics, and specific study calls.
• Focus Areas: Details the specific domains NASA is interested in for Moon to Mars architecture development.
• Participation Pathways: Explains the two methods for industry engagement: responding to specific NASA-defined tasks (Directed-Topic Calls) or proposing innovative solutions (Open-Topic Opportunities).
• Contracting Logistics: Introduces the Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) as the primary contracting vehicle, with details on its structure, on-ramp process for new offerors, and proposal submission requirements.
• Study Calls: Highlights specific areas of interest for future study calls, including Lunar Surface Power and Mars Crew Transportation.
• Timelines: Provides an overview of upcoming calls and milestones, such as solicitation release, proposal due dates, and award dates.
• Eligibility: Specifies that the solicitation is open to non-Government U.S. institutions, with certain restrictions for NASA employees and FFRDCs.

This document is highly relevant for potential bidders as it provides a comprehensive overview of NASA's NextSTEP-3 initiative for Moon to Mars architecture development. It outlines the scope of work, the contracting mechanisms (MATOC, Directed-Topic Calls, Open-Topic Opportunities), proposal requirements, and key timelines. Bidders can use this information to understand how to engage with NASA on this initiative, identify relevant opportunities, and prepare their proposals. It also highlights specific areas of interest such as lunar surface power and Mars crew transportation, which may lead to future solicitations.

Other / Unclassified

This document is an Excel spreadsheet titled "Industry Day Participants.xlsx". It contains two sheets: "Posted Participants" and "participant-20260123093458-7-1". The "Posted Participants" sheet lists attendees by their display name and email address. The second sheet appears to be a participant list from a specific date and time.

This document provides a list of individuals and their associated organizations who participated in an industry day event. This information may be relevant to bidders as it indicates companies and individuals who have shown interest in the opportunity and may be potential competitors or collaborators. It can also provide insights into the types of organizations engaging with the opportunity.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a solicitation (Solicitation Number: 80MSFC26R0003) for services to support NASA's technology development and mission concept maturation activities. The work involves concept exploration, research, analysis, experimental studies, and specialized studies, with a focus on analytical investigation and knowledge advancement rather than hardware development. The ultimate goal is to support human missions beyond low Earth orbit, including to the lunar surface and Mars.

Services include:

• Concept Exploration: Initial investigation and preliminary research into proposed concepts' alignment with NASA strategic goals.
• Concept Refinement: Comprehensive mission concept investigations to assess feasibility and program alignment.
• Concept Maturation: Advancing research through derivation of functional requirements and design space exploration.
• Risk Reduction: Experimental research to investigate and characterize critical technical, programmatic, and operational risks.
• Special Studies: Specialized investigations requiring focused expertise outside the scope of the main CLINs.

Specific requirements will be defined in individual Task Orders (TOs) issued under this Multiple-Award Task Order Contract (MATOC).

• Contract Type: Multiple-Award Task Order Contract (MATOC).

• Task Orders: All Task Orders will be Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP).

• Period of Performance: Not explicitly stated in the provided sections, but includes a Base Period of 24 months and Option Period 1 of 12 months.

• Contract Ceiling: Not-To-Exceed (NTE) contract ceiling is TBD.

• CLINs: Non-priced ordering categories; pricing will be established at the Task Order level.

• Submission Deadline: Offers are due by 5:00 PM CT on February 20, 2026.

• Evaluation Factors: Not detailed in the provided sections, but Section M references "Evaluation of Options."

• NAICS Code: 541715

• Small Business Size Standard: 1,000 employees.

• Other: Various representations and certifications are required, including those related to responsibility matters, tax liability, and foreign ownership.

• This is a "DRAFT" document.

• Pricing for work will be established at the Task Order level.

• Funding will be obligated at the Task Order level.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is Attachment C, the Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ), for the NextSTEP-3 initiative. Its purpose is to gather information from organizations that have had first-hand experience with an offeror to evaluate their past performance. This evaluation is a key consideration in the proposal selection process for the Moon to Mars Architecture Studies initiative.

The questionnaire is divided into several sections:

• Contract Identification: Details about the contract being reviewed (contractor, number, type, period of performance, dollar value, description of work, competitive award status, contractor's role).
• Customer or Agency Identification: Information about the customer or agency for whom the work was performed.
• Respondent Identification: Information about the individual completing the questionnaire.
• Performance Information: This section includes detailed questions and a rating scale (Exceptional, Very Good, Satisfactory, Marginal, Unsatisfactory, Not Applicable) covering:
  • Technical Performance (understanding requirements, quality of deliverables, meeting standards, system engineering, QA program, technical depth).
  • Program Management (effectiveness, personnel, problem resolution, responsiveness, schedule changes, subcontractor management, communication).
  • Cost Performance (forecasting accuracy, meeting costs, alerting to unforeseen costs, cost reporting).
• General Comment: A section for overall remarks on the contractor's ability to execute.

While this document is to be completed by a third party (a past customer), it is crucial for potential bidders to understand what information will be collected regarding their past performance. Bidders should be aware that this questionnaire will be used as an integral part of the source evaluation and selection process. The questionnaire requests detailed feedback on technical execution, program management, and cost performance, which directly impacts their evaluation.

Completed questionnaires are requested by a specific date (to be inserted) and should be emailed to hq-nextstep3appb@mail.nasa.gov, Attention: Maranda McCord, Contracting Officer.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a Sample Task Order Request for Task Order Proposal (RTOP) for the Habitation Augmentation Study. It solicits lunar surface habitation studies and risk reduction activities to inform NASA's lunar surface exploration strategy and operations. The RTOP is structured into multiple Work Areas, and offerors can propose to one, some, or all of them.

• Work Area One: Trade Study of Habitation Augmentation Options: Focuses on how lunar surface habitation elements can augment other surface assets and enhance capabilities. This includes assessing habitable volume needs for different exploration phases (Artemis, Moon-to-Mars) and evaluating internal and external outfitting strategies.
• Work Area Two: Habitation Augmentation Risk Reduction Activities: Targets risk reduction activities to improve understanding and demonstrate the feasibility of habitation augmentation systems. This involves tests/demos of various aspects like volume, outfitting, science capabilities, and risk mitigation.
• Assumptions: The document outlines several assumptions regarding initial surface infrastructure (Human Landing System, habitation module, pressurized rover, lunar terrain vehicle), habitable volumes (TBD), durations, and crew sizes for exploration phases. It also details power source assumptions.
• Deliverables: For both Work Areas, deliverables include kickoff charts, status reviews, and a final presentation and report detailing results, analyses, risks, cost, and schedule. Specific outputs include concept of operations, CAD layouts, identified risks, and technology maturation paths.

This document defines the scope of work for a potential task order. Bidders should review the Work Areas, objectives, assumptions, and deliverables to determine their capability and interest in proposing solutions for habitation augmentation studies and risk reduction activities for lunar exploration. It outlines the specific areas of focus, the expected outcomes, and the evaluation context for proposals.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document provides instructions for submitting an Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI) Plan as part of a proposal. It outlines the specific requirements and information that must be included in the OCI Plan to ensure compliance with FAR 9.5.

• Point of Contact: Identification of a point of contact for OCI issues.
• Understanding of OCI: Demonstration of knowledge regarding OCI principles, types of harm, and specific OCI categories (biased ground rules, unequal access to information, impaired objectivity).
• Company Roles & Procedures: Definition of company responsibilities for identifying, analyzing, resolving, and reporting OCIs, including screening processes and monitoring.
• Employee Notification & Training: Procedures for notifying employees of OCI requirements and establishing training protocols (entrance, refresher, exit).
• Breach Reporting: Process for reporting OCI breaches to the contracting officer and obtaining approval for corrective actions.
• Affiliated Companies: Identification of affiliated entities and procedures for coordinating OCIs.
• OCI Reporting During Performance: Process for reporting potential/actual OCIs during contract performance, including required report contents.
• Subcontractor Flow-Down: Explanation of how OCI provisions will flow down to subcontractors and their OCI programs.
• Sanctions: Definition of organizational and employee sanctions for OCI violations.
• Existing OCIs: Assertion regarding the existence of current OCIs and a list of prime and proposed subcontractor NASA contracts/subcontracts performed within the last five years, detailing contract number, scope of work, and potential conflicts.
• Other Interests: Disclosure of financial or other interests/relationships that may create an OCI, including nature, extent, and involved entities.
• Mitigation Strategies: Description of how potential OCIs will be avoided, neutralized, or mitigated.

Bidders must carefully review these instructions to develop and submit a comprehensive OCI Plan that meets all specified requirements. Failure to adequately address these points may impact proposal evaluation and award.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is Appendix B of the NextSTEP-3 Omnibus Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), titled "Moon to Mars Architectural Studies." It solicits applied concept development, risk reduction, and special studies to address architecture gaps identified by NASA for lunar and Mars missions. The goal is to create knowledge foundations for informed programmatic decisions regarding infrastructure, transportation, habitation, mission Concept of Operations (CONOPS), and lunar/Mars mission science.

Work is categorized into maturity levels: CLIN 0001 (Exploration), CLIN 0002 (Refinement), and CLIN 0003 (Maturation). Additional categories include CLIN 0004 (Risk Reduction) and CLIN 0005 (Special Studies). Offerors are expected to apply independent scientific and engineering judgment.

NASA intends to establish a Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC). Task orders will be Firm-Fixed Price with performance-based milestone payments. Open-topic opportunities may result in individual, standalone Firm-Fixed Price contracts.

• MATOC Proposal Deadline: February 20, 2026, 5:00 PM CST.

• MATOC Proposal Content: Focuses on technical capabilities and past performance.

• Directed-Topic Call Task Orders: Will be issued as Requests for Task Order Proposals (RTOPs) to MATOC contractors.

• Open-Topic Opportunities: Proposals will be accepted starting two months after initial MATOC award and will remain open through the life of Appendix B. These are for standalone contracts and potential MATOC on-ramping.

• Evaluation: Proposals will be evaluated on technical merit, relevance, and price. Specific evaluation criteria are detailed for MATOC proposals, task order proposals, and open-topic proposals.

• Eligible Offerors are U.S. institutions (companies, universities, nonprofit organizations).

• NASA civil servants, JPL employees, national laboratories, and FFRDCs cannot be Prime Contractors but may be team members.

• An Industry Day is scheduled for January 22, 2026.

• Written questions are due no later than February 13, 2025.

• All information will be posted electronically on SAM.gov. Refer to the NextSTEP-3 Omnibus BAA for additional details.