Draft RFP - Mars Telecommunications Network (MTN)

Draft RFP Update (04/07/2026):

Optional One-on-One Meetings: 

Abstract shall be sent to the Contracting Officer Alisha Mercadante at Alisha.M.Mercadante@nasa.gov, Carlos McKenzie at Carlos.R.Mckenzie@nasa.gov, and Antwan Reid at Antwan.G.Reid@nasa.gov NLT April 7, 2026.  If an abstract was previously submitted to the Contracting Officer, resubmit the abstract to both Carlos McKenzie and Antwan Reid.

Draft RFP Cover Letter:

Update 1:

To enable NASA to issue advisory determinations, offerors should provide the below information to the Contracting Officer Alisha Mercadante at Alisha.M.Mercadante@nasa.gov, Carlos McKenzie at Carlos.R.Mckenzie@nasa.gov, and Antwan Reid at Antwan.G.Reid@nasa.gov NLT five (5) calendar days from the release of the Draft RFP:

• Documentation to demonstrate that the offeror is US commercial provider.

• Documentation to demonstrate that the offeror received NASA funding in FY 2024 or FY 2025 for commercial design studies for Mars Sample Return.

• Documentation to demonstrate that offeror proposed a separately and independently launched Mars telecom orbiter to support an end-to-end Mars Sample Return mission.

If you have already submitted the information above to the Contracting Officer, resubmit the information to both Carlos McKenzie at Carlos.R.Mckenzie@nasa.gov, and Antwan Reid at Antwan.G.Reid@nasa.gov.

Update 2:

Any comments regarding the DRFP should be submitted electronically in writing, Alisha Mercadante, Contracting Officer, alisha.m.mercadante@nasa.gov, within 10 calendar days after the release of this DRFP. However, if you have questions that you will potentially liked answered at the industry day, please submit those questions within 5 calendar days after the release of this DRFP to the Contracting Officer Alisha Mercadante at Alisha.M.Mercadante@nasa.gov, Carlos McKenzie at Carlos.R.Mckenzie@nasa.gov, and Antwan Reid at Antwan.G.Reid@nasa.gov.

(End of 04/07/2026 Draft RFP Update)

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announces the release of the Draft Request for Proposal (DRFP) for the Mars Telecommunications Network (MTN) acquisition.

As previously announced, and in accordance with the advisory multi-step process described in FAR 15.101(e), potential offerors are highly encouraged to submit nonbinding information addressing their statutory eligibility with The Working Families Tax Cut (WFTC) Act, formerly known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill" (OBBBA) as codified in 51 U.S.C § 20306.  Additional information can be found in the DRFP. All attachments to this posting together constitute the complete DRFP, including all instructions, restrictions, provisions, and contract clauses.

NASA will host a one-day event with industry on April 9, 2026 to discuss the requirements of the Mars Telecommunications Network. The event will include briefings from the NASA requirements team, as well as one-on-one meetings between NASA and potential offerors on the MTN DRFP requirements. Please note that availability of one-on-one meetings may be limited due to space and security constraints.

Date/Time:

April 9, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. EDT

Location:

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

Building 3 Goett Auditorium

8800 Greenbelt Road

Greenbelt, MD 20771

The industry day will be held in-person only.  There will not be a virtual component to this event.

Due to space constraints, attendance will be limited to a maximum of two (2) participants per company. NASA reserves the right to further limit attendance if necessary.

To register for the MTN Industry Day and/or to be considered for a one-on-one session, please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NASA_MTN_IndustryDay by 5:00 PM EST on April 6, 2026. Unregistered parties MAY NOT attend any of the Industry Day activities.

For issues related to registration only, please contact Kelly Hyde at Kelly.K.Hyde@nasa.gov. Due to the potential volume of email requests, please annotate the subject line of your email with "MTN Industry Day Registration Assistance" to ensure your request is properly identified and addressed in a timely manner.

All personnel attending the industry day must meet applicable citizenship and security requirements.

Optional One-on-One Meetings:

To assist with scheduling, potential offerors interested in being considered for a one-on-one meeting with NASA shall submit a brief abstract, not to exceed three (3) pages, with a summary of relevant capabilities, key technologies, approaches, experiences and differentiators the company wishes to highlight that aligned with the Mars Telecommunications Network requirements. NASA is not seeking generic capability statements. Abstracts will be used solely for planning purposes and do not constitute a proposal and will not be evaluated.

The government will review submissions and schedule one-on-one meetings based on relevance and time availability. Submission of an abstract does not guarantee a one-on-one session.

Schedule priority will be given to the potential offerors that submit nonbinding information addressing their statutory eligibility with The Working Families Tax Cut (WFTC) Act, formerly known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill" (OBBBA).   See Draft Request for Proposal Cover letter for additional information.

Abstract shall be sent to the Contracting Officer NLT April 7, 2026. 

This industry day does not constitute a solicitation, a promise to issue a solicitation, or a commitment by the government to award a contract or other agreement. The government will not reimburse any costs associated with participation. Participation in this industry day is voluntary and for planning and information-gathering purposes only.

Interested parties or potential participants are responsible for monitoring  https://sam.gov for any updates or changes.