Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC) Draft Request for Proposal

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. NO PROPOSALS ARE TO BE SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE

This notice is issued by the NASA/Johnson Space Center to post draft RFP (DRFP) to solicit responses from interested parties. This document is for information and planning purposes and to allow industry the opportunity to verify reasonableness and feasibility of the requirement, as well as promote competition.

The Commercial Low Earth Orbit Contract will acquire services for a commercially owned and operated Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination that can provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective end-to-end services to succeed the International Space Station (ISS). This will ensure NASA has a sustained human presence in LEO for Crew members to perform science and exploration. As part of this service, the Contractor(s) will design, build, and operate the Commercial LEO Destination (CLD)  which covers all aspects of development and certification, including design, manufacturing, demonstration/testing, qualification, production, transportation vehicles, including operational missions (cargo/crew) and utilization activities post CLD certification.

This DRFP is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response. The Government may not respond to questions/concerns submitted. The Government will use the information to finalize the RFP as necessary.

All comments or questions must be submitted electronically via email to Ashley Chaves at jsc-cldc@mail.nasa.gov, no later than July 24, 2026 at 8:00am Central. When responding reference "80JSC026R0021 DRFP".

NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at: https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/Procurement-Ombuds-Comp-Advocate-Listing.pdf

If a solicitation is released, then it and any additional documents will be available on Sam.gov. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor this website for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments, if any.

NASA intends to publicize a listing of respondents to facilitate teaming arrangements. Should your firm desire not to be included in this listing, clearly indicate this desire in your response.

DRFP Pre-Proposal Conference:

The DRFP Pre-Proposal Conference for this solicitation will be held on Thursday, July 9, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. CT via Microsoft Teams. Attendance at the DRFP pre-proposal conference is recommended; however, attendance is neither required nor a prerequisite for proposal submission. No recordings of any kind are permitted. Participation is limited to a total of ten (10) individuals from each company/team.

Please RSVP for the Pre-Proposal Conference by Wednesday July 8, 2026, 12:00 p.m. CT by sending an email to the following address: jsc-cldc@mail.nasa.gov.

The RSVP email must include the following:

Subject Line: CLDC DRFP Pre-Proposal Conference RSVP

Full company name

Company address

SAM Unique Entity ID and Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code

Company point of contact name, phone number, and email address

Company size/type (e.g., Large Business, Small Business, Women-Owned Small Business, etc.)

Names, position descriptions, and email addresses of attendees (no more than ten (10) individuals may represent any party or team of parties)

Indication of your company’s desire to be added to the Interested Parties list, which will be publicly available on the Sam.gov. 

A confirmation email will be sent to acknowledge your reservation(s) and provide further instructions.

NASA anticipates releasing the DRFP Pre-Proposal Conference charts prior to the DRFP Pre-Proposal Conference.  Please continue to monitor this SAM.gov posting for updates on the release of any documents.

One-on-One Meetings:

The Government will offer one-on-one communication opportunities for Prime Offerors and Transportation Providers from Monday, July 13, 2026, through Wednesday, July 15, 2026.

These meetings will be conducted in person at the Gilruth Center with a virtual participation option. The exact meeting location will be provided to companies upon confirmation of their scheduled time slot.

Participation is limited to eight (8) representatives per company/team for in‑person attendance, with additional representatives able to join virtually.

RSVP Instructions

Companies must RSVP for the one-on-one meetings no later than 2:00 PM Central Time on Thursday, July 9, 2026, by emailing jsc-cldc@mail.nasa.gov.

The RSVP email must include:

Company name, address, primary point of contact information, and SAM Unique Entity ID

If requesting a one-on-one meeting:

Names and position titles/descriptions of up to 8 attendees

Contact information for each attendee

Requested meeting date and time

Questions regarding this notice should also be submitted to jsc-cldc@mail.nasa.gov.

To facilitate engagement with industry, NASA personnel will conduct one-on-one meetings with individual companies. These sessions will be structured as Question-and-Answer (Q&A) discussions only; formal presentations are not permitted.

Permitted Discussion Topics

The following topics may be addressed during the meetings:

The general purpose of the procurement

Publicly available information related to the CLDC acquisition including the Draft RFP

Federal procurement processes as defined by the FAR, NASA FAR Supplement (NFS), or other official policy documents

Previously released procurement-specific information 

Prohibited Discussion Topics

The following topics will not be discussed:

Proprietary or confidential business information of any entity

Privacy Act–protected information (e.g., personal data of contractor employees)

Trade Secrets Act–protected information

Speculation regarding proposal expectations

Government preferences or emphasis beyond what is publicly available

Incumbent contractor performance

Additional Information

A confirmation email will be sent to acknowledge reservations and provide further instructions.

Recording of any kind is strictly prohibited during one-on-one sessions.

It is the responsibility of all potential offerors to monitor official websites for updates related to this acquisition.