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NASA announced Competition Model 2.0 (CM2.0) on October 21, 2026, changing how the Science Mission Directorate competes and selects missions. The reform does not create one process for every project: flagship management stays the same, several medium-size mission classes keep two-step competitions with a lighter science-first opening, and smaller mission classes move to a single-step contest. NASA projects faster selections and less proposal work, but those figures are forecasts rather than demonstrated results, and implementation will occur in stages.
What is NASA changing about science mission selection?
Associate Administrator Nicola Fox summarized the principle behind CM2.0 as: “CM2.0 starts from a simple idea: compete on the science first.” NASA says teams should not have to complete extensive engineering, cost and implementation work before the agency knows which scientific idea deserves further development.
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The new model therefore assigns different competition structures to different mission classes. Early submissions for some missions will emphasize the scientific case, a science implementation plan and a proof-of-concept design. Detailed technical and cost work is deferred until it is needed to distinguish finalists or support an implementation decision.
NASA says the approach is intended to reduce the burden on proposal teams, shorten competitions and make delivery more predictable. It has not yet published post-reform performance data, so the expected improvements should be read as agency projections.
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Which NASA missions are affected by Competition Model 2.0?
| Mission class | Competition structure | What changes | Implementation and partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagships | Existing management approach | CM2.0 does not change management of the largest missions. | NASA assigns overall mission leadership to a NASA Center and competes science teams and instruments through targeted solicitations. |
| Astro-Probes, New Frontiers and Discovery | Accelerated two-step competition | Step 1 requests a science case, science implementation plan and proof-of-concept mission design; NASA says this removes roughly half the material currently required in an Announcement of Opportunity response. | A mission implementation study follows. Down-selection to one mission occurs partway through Phase A, and the selected mission completes Phase A before Key Decision Point B (KDP-B). Goddard or JPL may manage the study; in some cases NASA may award it to Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory under Goddard management. |
| MIDEX and Earth Explorer | Two-step competition retained | Implementation is opened to a broader field, including universities and industry partners. | Organizations are evaluated on past performance with projects of similar complexity and cost. Principal-investigator teams may request pairing with Goddard or JPL at Step 1 selection. |
| SMEX, Missions of Opportunity, Earth Venture, hosted payloads and rideshares | Single-step competition | Smaller review teams and virtual site visits replace the previous approach. | Competitions are open to a broad range of implementing organizations. |
How much faster does NASA expect selections to become?
NASA has supplied two different projections for two different parts of the process. They should not be combined into one universal “40 percent faster” claim.
- Astro-Probes, New Frontiers and Discovery: NASA projects up to a 45% reduction in the time from an Announcement of Opportunity to step-two selection—from 35 months to about 19.5 months (NASA Science Mission Directorate, 2026).
- SMEX, Missions of Opportunity, Earth Venture, hosted payloads and rideshares: NASA projects up to a 40% reduction in time to final selection—from about 32 months to about 19 months (NASA Science Mission Directorate, 2026).
The first estimate ends at step-two selection for the accelerated two-step classes. The second concerns final selection for classes moving to one step. NASA describes both as estimates; the announcement does not establish that the new process has achieved either result.
What will teams submit under the lighter first step?
For Astro-Probes, New Frontiers and Discovery, Step 1 is designed to test whether a proposal presents a compelling scientific opportunity and a credible path to investigate it. NASA lists three core elements:
- A compelling science case explaining the question, its importance and why the proposed mission can answer it.
- A science implementation plan showing how observations, instruments and analysis would address that question.
- A proof-of-concept mission design demonstrating that the concept is plausible without requiring a complete, mature implementation package.
After Step 1, NASA expects a mission implementation study to provide the engineering, cost and management information needed for down-selection. Teams that are not selected are released from carrying their concepts through the rest of Phase A on their own, which NASA says should reduce wasted effort.
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Does the faster model remove NASA’s cost and schedule oversight?
No. NASA says rigorous cost and schedule controls remain mandatory for every mission class. Breaching control thresholds can lead to consequences up to and including mission termination. CM2.0 changes when and how information is developed for competition; it does not waive accountability after a mission is selected.
NASA also expects mission and implementation teams to use commercial capabilities—such as commercial spacecraft buses, subsystems and multi-mission operations—when they offer a technical or cost advantage. This is a procurement and engineering policy, not a recommendation of consumer products.
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NASA says CM2.0 will be implemented in stages and refined over time. The general announcement does not replace the rules, eligibility requirements or dates in a specific Announcement of Opportunity.
NASA’s Science Office for Mission Assessments (SOMA) supports Announcement of Opportunity development and the technical, management and cost evaluation of proposals and Phase A concept studies. SOMA cautions that its solicitation planning dates are projections and that NASA cannot guarantee a planned release date. Prospective applicants should therefore rely on the active solicitation for authoritative instructions.
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What does CM2.0 mean for universities, companies and principal investigators?
The effects depend on the mission class. Teams pursuing Astro-Probes, New Frontiers or Discovery may be able to compete initially without funding a full-scale design effort, but they must make the science case and proof-of-concept unusually clear. MIDEX and Earth Explorer applicants face broader implementation competition and will need evidence of successfully delivering projects with comparable complexity and cost. For SMEX, Earth Venture and related classes, organizations that can assemble a credible end-to-end implementation proposal may enter a single, more compact contest.
NASA’s stated goal is to let scientific merit carry more weight than the size of a proposing organization. The later implementation study still introduces NASA Center involvement and technical scrutiny, so a strong idea does not eliminate the need for credible management and engineering capability.
How should applicants interpret the announcement?
Treat CM2.0 as a framework, not a standing solicitation. Before preparing a proposal, identify the mission class, read the current Announcement of Opportunity, confirm whether a NASA Center partnership is required or optional, and check the applicable Phase A, cost and schedule rules. Until NASA issues class-specific solicitations, exact submission content and dates remain uncertain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will NASA stop using Announcements of Opportunity?
No. NASA’s reform changes how different mission classes are competed, but Announcements of Opportunity remain part of the acquisition process. The agency says prospective teams must follow the requirements and dates in each active solicitation.
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What is KDP-B in NASA mission development?
Key Decision Point B is a formal NASA review used to decide whether a mission is ready to move from formulation into the next development phase. Under the accelerated model, the selected mission is expected to complete Phase A before reaching KDP-B.
Can a university lead a mission under the new model?
Eligibility depends on the mission class and the specific solicitation. NASA says MIDEX and Earth Explorer implementation will be open to universities and industry partners, while principal-investigator teams may request pairing with Goddard or JPL at Step 1 selection.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteWhy are NASA’s time-savings numbers not proof yet?
CM2.0 was announced in October 2026, and NASA has not reported completed competitions under the revised rules. The 45% and 40% figures are the agency’s projections for different selection intervals, not independently measured outcomes.
