NASA released its final request for proposals for commercial destinations in low Earth orbit on October 9, 2026. Companies have until December 8, 2026, to submit proposals, and NASA expects to make contract awards in spring 2027. The procurement seeks stations and end-to-end transportation services for human spaceflight as NASA plans for a transition from the International Space Station (ISS).
What is NASA asking companies to propose?
NASA is seeking commercial low Earth orbit destinations that companies would design, build, test, certify and operate. The requested service also includes end-to-end transportation for human spaceflight: NASA is looking for access to destinations, not just station hardware.
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NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described the agency’s interest in “credible plans, strong technical execution, and companies prepared to invest in destinations that can serve NASA while developing additional customers and markets of their own.” The statement appeared in NASA’s October 9 announcement.
How will the procurement work?
NASA says it intends to use firm-fixed-price, multi-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts for development, certification and services. In plain terms, NASA plans to select multiple contractors for work under an established contract framework, with later work ordered competitively. The agency’s announcement describes this intended approach; the final solicitation and any amendments govern the binding terms.
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| Stage | NASA’s stated plan |
|---|---|
| Early development | Select two or more contractors for initial development work. |
| Later design and testing | Hold a competitive task order for final design, test and evaluation. |
| Certification and services | Provide for certification and services from one or more contractors. |
The final announcement does not state a procurement ceiling or name proposal submitters or awardees. The December deadline is for proposals; it is not an award date.
Why does NASA want commercial destinations?
NASA’s goal is to maintain a U.S. human presence and research capability in low Earth orbit after the ISS, while relying on commercial providers for destinations and focusing more agency resources on exploration beyond low Earth orbit. The agency’s program overview describes a model in which NASA buys services from commercially owned and operated stations and commercial operators seek customers beyond NASA.
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Commercial stations would need to support demanding research and crew operations. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), citing NASA officials in 2026, reported that a typical six-month ISS mission increment involved about 100 NASA investigations and another 100 investigations by the ISS National Laboratory. Those figures describe ISS activity, not a forecast or requirement for future commercial stations.
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What does the ISS transition mean for timing?
NASA’s program overview and GAO describe ISS retirement and deorbiting as planned for 2030. That is a plan, not a guaranteed transition date. GAO reported that NASA had not assessed the likelihood or potential duration of a gap in continuous human presence in low Earth orbit, so the final solicitation alone does not establish that a successor station will be ready in time to prevent one.
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Schedule is a material challenge. GAO’s 2026 analysis found that NASA projects launched since 2010 took a little over five years on average from development start to launch. In an earlier planning comparison, GAO noted that companies would have roughly four years if Phase 2 agreements were awarded in 2026 and crewed capability were required by 2030. That comparison is a schedule-risk illustration, not a prediction for any particular station or a deadline established by the October 2026 announcement.
How much money has NASA set aside?
The October 9 announcement does not specify a dollar amount for the final procurement. GAO reported that NASA had told companies it anticipated approximately $1 billion to $1.5 billion over fiscal years 2026 through 2031 for agreements or contracts. GAO also said NASA officials clarified in March 2026 that the available amount might support only one commercial station. This was a prior planning estimate—not a confirmed ceiling for the final request for proposals or a promise to fund a particular number of stations.
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Which companies are involved?
NASA’s October 9 announcement does not identify who submitted a proposal. Earlier program activity is not evidence of participation in this final competition. NASA’s program overview describes prior Space Act Agreements and a 2023 commercial capabilities initiative involving Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman, Sierra Space, SpaceX, Special Aerospace Services, ThinkOrbital and Vast. Axiom Space also had an earlier NASA contract for a module initially planned to attach to the ISS. These are historical program participants, not a confirmed list of offerors for the October 2026 solicitation.
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Companies have proposed different station concepts in earlier planning. GAO, for example, described Starlab Space’s plan for a large metallic habitat launched with its docking node and power and propulsion element, and Axiom’s plan to attach a station module to the ISS before detaching it. Those descriptions concern company plans, not completed hardware or guaranteed final designs. The procurement announcement does not provide an apples-to-apples comparison of proposals.
Quick Recap
What should readers watch next?
- December 8, 2026: proposal deadline.
- Spring 2027: NASA’s expected award window.
- Solicitation terms and amendments: these will determine detailed requirements, deliverables and contract conditions.
- Transition readiness: awards will not by themselves show that a station has been built, certified, crewed or made operational before the planned ISS retirement.
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