NASA's secret weapon in the lunar space race may be ... procurement reform?
Summary
NASA announced a series of lunar contracts and opportunities as it works toward a Moon Base program over the next decade. The agency is using flexible procurement methods, including short initial proposals, to invite ideas from a broad range of space companies and reduce the work required before NASA selects concepts for full proposals.Key Facts
- NASA officials announced contracts, opportunities, and mission decisions involving lunar landers, rovers, drones, power systems, and communications satellites.
- Moon Base Program manager Carlos García-Galán said the pace of solicitations is intended to support the program’s planned timeline.
- Former NASA associate administrator Mike Gold said NASA issued five lunar contract proposals in seven days.
- NASA has used Broad Agency Announcements to describe capabilities it needs while giving companies room to propose solutions.
- Under NASA’s two-step process, companies first submit short white papers; selected concepts then move to full proposals.
- Redwire submitted initial proposals for several lunar opportunities and prepared a full proposal for a solar-power concept NASA chose to pursue.
- The article describes NASA’s procurement approach as similar to one used by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
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