In-Orbit Demonstration and Data Acquisition of a Hyperspectral Microwave Sounder (HyMS)

1. Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

2. Office: NESDIS Office of Systems Architecture and Engineering (SAE)

3. Location: Silver Spring, MD

4. Notice Type: Presolicitation Notice (Notice of Intent to Sole Source)

5. Description: The Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) hereby publicizes its intent to award a sole-source modification to Spire Global Subsidiary, Inc. for the acquisition of 12 additional months Period of Performance (PoP) extension  from October 01, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

The original contract was awarded as a result of competitive procedures under Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) BAA-NOAA-HyMS-2022.

6. Statutory Authority: The statutory authority for this non-competitive action is 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1), as implemented by FAR Subpart 6.103-1, "Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements".

7. Rationale: The requirement is a follow-on to a competitively awarded R&D mission. Spire Global is currently the only source with a space-qualified HyMS sensor in orbit (launched January 11, 2026). The 16U platform is uniquely configured to support the specialized thermal management and power distribution required by the HyMS payload. Continuity of this specific data stream is critical to capture seasonal atmospheric variations (e.g., hurricane seasons and polar winters) required to validate the impact of this technology on Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models. Awarding to another source would result in a substantial duplication of costs that is not expected to be recovered through competition and would cause unacceptable delays in the mission's R&D objectives.

8. Response Instructions: This is not a formal solicitation or a Request for Proposal (RFP). However, as required by FAR 5.101(c)(4)(vi), all responsible sources may submit a quotation, bid, or proposal (in the form of a Capability Statement), which shall be considered by the agency. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed action based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be used solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.

Responses must be submitted via email to bryton.curtis@noaa.gov and mark.a.sullivan@noaa.gov no later than 11:00 AM EST on May 16, 2026.