- NASA has released a draft SPARC RFP for space nuclear systems
- The IDIQ would span design through sustainment for lunar reactor work
- Comments on the draft solicitation are due Sept. 25
NASA’s Glenn Research Center has begun soliciting industry feedback on a draft request for proposals for a multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for space nuclear systems.
According to the draft RFP published Friday, NASA is accepting industry comments on the draft RFP for the proposed Space Power and Reactor Capabilities, or SPARC, IDIQ contract through Sept. 25.
What Is the Scope of the Proposed SPARC IDIQ?
According to the draft statement of work, the planned multiple-award IDIQ contract would cover the design, development, analysis, fabrication, assembly, verification, validation, test, evaluation and certification of space nuclear systems, along with ground and/or space delivery and sustaining maintenance and operations of related subsystems, hardware, materials and software.
NASA said the primary purpose of the acquisition is to support technology maturation, testing and flight design for its Lunar Reactor-1, or LR-1, program, which is intended to develop the first operational fission reactor for the lunar surface and support future power generation on the moon and Mars. Additional task orders may be issued to support other space nuclear system needs as they arise.
NASA plans to conduct the acquisition as a full and open competition, subject to Small Business Administration approval, and expects to award multiple IDIQ contracts alongside multiple firm-fixed-price task orders tied to the LR-1 program’s first phase.
What Are the Key Dates for the SPARC Draft RFP?
NASA plans to hold an industry day at Glenn Research Center on or around Sept. 14, with additional details to be posted as a solicitation amendment.
NASA plans to release the final RFP on or about Nov. 15, with proposals due roughly 30 days later. The agency expects the contract’s ordering period to run from April 15, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2031.
What Specific Solicitation Areas Is NASA Requesting Feedback On?
NASA identified several areas of the draft where changes are anticipated or where it is specifically seeking industry input ahead of the final RFP. These include the contract line item number structure, which the agency said remains under development and may expand to cover additional contract types and capital assets. NASA also flagged language reserving its right to modify SPARC contract terms to solicit and award a task order for a Lunar Reactor Flight System, as well as forthcoming language governing the onboarding of additional vendors into the IDIQ pool.
On the proposal side, the agency is requesting comment on the sufficiency of proposal page counts, the definition used for major subcontractors, and the performance and delivery incentives it plans to require at the task order level.
How Does the SPARC Draft RFP Fit Into NASA’s Broader Acquisition Push?
The draft RFP for SPARC follows NASA’s draft solicitation for lunar infrastructure technologies under the NextSTEP-3 Lunar Enabling Infrastructure Accelerator, another Glenn Research Center-led effort to mature technologies for sustained lunar operations. It also follows NASA’s memorandum of agreement with the Small Business Administration to attract private investment in space technologies, which names nuclear power among the supply chain areas the agency’s Office of Strategic Capital plans to prioritize.
NASA has used the same draft RFP structure for other major procurements this year, including the draft solicitation for the Landsat 10 spacecraft contract and the draft RFP for Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destinations Phase 2, both of which opened for industry comment before moving to a final RFP and award timeline. NASA has followed the same early-engagement approach with its sources sought notice for the Commercial Lunar Payload Services 2.0 contract, which is likewise moving toward a future solicitation.
