- The Space Force has issued a draft solicitation for its payload processing management effort
- Comments are due Aug. 6, ahead of a final RFP expected in early fiscal year 2027
- The 2026 Air and Space Summit will explore AI, commercial space relay, Golden Dome and more
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command has released a draft request for proposals and a request for information for the National Security Space Launch Enterprise Payload Processing Management, or EPPM, effort, an initiative that aims to centralize the scheduling and procurement of payload processing services for space vehicle programs.
As the Space Force works to streamline how it schedules and procures critical mission infrastructure, the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30 will bring together government and industry leaders to discuss the technologies and priorities shaping the space domain, including AI, commercial space relay, interoperable optical networks, Golden Dome and network modernization. Save your seat now!
According to a notice published Wednesday on SAM.gov, responses to the RFI and draft RFP are due Aug. 6.
SSC issued the notice to gather industry feedback on the draft solicitation before finalizing the acquisition approach. The government expects to release the final RFP for EPPM in the first quarter of fiscal year 2027.
How Will the EPPM Procurement Process Work?
The EPPM effort will use a multiple-award, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract structure with a five-year basic ordering period. The government plans to open the IDIQ for on-ramps on an annual basis, or when market research identifies new qualified providers, giving new entrants the opportunity to compete for a contract award and receive the initial minimum order for the Order Year 1 Schedule and Technical Insight task order.
Once on the IDIQ, contract holders who meet the minimum payload processing task order qualification criteria will be able to compete for mission-specific payload processing services task orders through a Fair Opportunity Proposal Request, or FOPR, process. All task orders will be issued on a firm-fixed-price basis and will require a fully burdened cost bid covering the requirements defined in each task order’s performance work statement, or PWS, according to the RFI.
What Information Is the Government Requesting From Industry?
- COMSEC infrastructure – Feedback on whether payload processing facilities have the infrastructure and cleared personnel to meet communications security requirements upon award
- Roles and responsibilities – Feedback on the division of responsibility between space vehicle providers and payload processing facilities, or PPFs, for handling and accountability of COMSEC materials
- Priority rights – Feedback on the Priority Right to Use and Right of First Refusal language and its impact on supporting concurrent commercial missions
- Scheduling and SV swaps – Feedback on the draft SSC H01 clause governing scheduling, delays and SV swaps, including notification windows and commercial delay costs
- FOPR response turnaround – Identification of any internal restrictions that would prevent a response within the proposed five-calendar-day window for standard task order requests
- Standard and non-standard services – Feedback on whether the PWS sections on standard and non-standard services are clearly defined and complete
- PWS organization – Feedback on whether the scope within each PWS section is logically organized
- Government-furnished property – Identification of whether PPFs typically rely on government-furnished property to maintain mission readiness
- Payment terms – A comparison of the draft RFP payment plan with commercial payment terms for standard and non-standard services
- Rapid implementation – Innovative ideas on RFP and contract structure to facilitate rapid execution of payload processing services
What Facility Requirements Must PPF Providers Meet?
According to the draft PWS, EPPM payload processing facility providers will furnish the facilities and services needed for space vehicle and launch vehicle organizations to conduct processing and integration activities before mating the space vehicle to the launch vehicle near launch sites.
Contractors must designate a facility located within the U.S. or its territories and within 30 miles of the launch complex that will launch the payloads. Contractors may also designate facilities at other launch site locations approved by the Space Force Program Executive Office for Assured Access to Space.
What’s the Latest on the National Security Space Launch Program?
EPPM is emerging alongside broader activity across the Space Force NSSL program. In early July, Impulse Space and Relativity Federal secured positions on the NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 contract, a potential $5.6 billion multiple-award vehicle for launch services supporting national security space missions. Blue Origin, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance won spots on the contract in 2024.
In April, the Space Force sought industry input to identify launch providers that could support up to 25 high-priority NSSL Phase 3 missions scheduled for fiscal years 2027 to 2029.
