- The VADR IDIQ currently has 13 eligible launch providers
- Bidders must hold a launch site agreement for at least one site
- Participation is limited to U.S.-controlled launch service companies
NASA has issued a solicitation inviting commercial launch service providers to compete for positions on its Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare, or VADR, contract. According to a solicitation notice published Tuesday on SAM.gov, interested vendors have until Dec. 10 to submit proposals under a 2026 on-ramp.
What Is VADR?
VADR is an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract vehicle issued by NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The agency released the original VADR request for proposals on May 27, 2021, and selected 13 companies for the contract vehicle, then valued at $300 million, in January 2022. The VADR contract vehicle builds upon NASA’s earlier small satellite commercial launch procurements, following the original Venture Class Launch Services program announced in 2015 and the VCLS Demonstration 2 contract awarded in 2020.
An on-ramp provision keeps the VADR solicitation open for five years from its effective date, enabling NASA to open windows for new launch companies. Contracts awarded under VADR carry five-year ordering periods.
In August 2024, NASA added Arrow Science and Technology, Impulse Space and Momentus Space to VADR through the on-ramp process. NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy manages the contracts.
The vehicle currently maintains a total roster of 13 commercial providers, which also includes Astra Space, Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, L2 Solutions, Northrop Grumman, Phantom Space, Relativity Space, Rocket Lab USA, SpaceX and United Launch Services.
What Must Companies Demonstrate to Qualify for VADR?
Prospective contractors need a launch site agreement in place and that site must be able to support VADR task orders. They must also provide evidence of at least one of three qualifying activities: a launch attempt of the proposed common vehicle configuration, a successful launch reaching an altitude of at least 100 kilometers using any vehicle in the company’s fleet, or development tests of every core-stage engine in the proposed configuration, each as a full-scale single-engine assembly, reaching at least 50 percent of flight thrust.
Companies proposing to use another provider’s launch vehicle, whether through broker services or a transfer vehicle, must submit agreements for each vehicle included in their proposals.
Which Companies Are Eligible to Compete for VADR Spots?
Procurement is limited to prime contractors from the U.S. launch industry. These are U.S.-organized entities with controlling interests held by U.S. citizens. NASA presumes that a stake of 51 percent or more amounts to control, though the agency makes the final determination.
The launch vehicle must qualify as a domestic end product, meaning the spacecraft must derive more than 50 percent of its total component cost from U.S.-sourced materials. More than half of the cost of the required launch services must also come from U.S. industry sources. Failure to meet the domestic criteria could lead to termination for cause.
NASA asked companies planning to bid to give the agency advance notice, along with their current flight manifests and the vehicle configurations they plan to offer. The agency said it will not hold a 2026 on-ramp if it receives no viable responses.
What Missions Has VADR Supported?
On Nov. 7, NASA awarded six VADR task orders worth approximately $1.3 billion to Arrow Science and Technology, Blue Origin and Impulse Space to integrate and transport Moon Base cargo. In announcing the awards, NASA described VADR as a 10-year IDIQ with a maximum total value of $5 billion across all contracts.
In September 2024, NASA selected Firefly to launch the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s QuickSounder environmental satellite under VADR. In December 2023, SpaceX received three task orders, and SEOPS, which does business under L2 Solutions, received one to launch small satellite missions.
