NASA released the final Request for Proposals (RFP) for its Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC) on October 9, 2026. The solicitation seeks commercial destinations in low Earth orbit that can provide end-to-end destination and transportation services for human spaceflight. NASA plans to make early-development awards before holding a later competition for final design and services. NASA outlined the contract structure and schedule.
What NASA is seeking
NASA wants commercial destinations in low Earth orbit to support research, technology development, crew training, and preparation for missions to the Moon and Mars. The proposed destinations must be capable of providing both the orbital destination and transportation services for human spaceflight.
How the contract is staged
NASA plans to use firm-fixed-price, multi-award contracts under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) framework. The agency intends to select two or more contractors for early development, then run a competitive task order for final design, test and evaluation, certification, and services. One or more contractors could receive work in that later stage.
| Procurement stage | NASA's planned scope |
| Early development | Select two or more contractors |
| Later competitive task order | Final design, test and evaluation, certification, and services from one or more contractors |
The sequence separates early development from the later competition for final design and services. An early award therefore starts a development phase; it does not by itself select an operator for a completed station.
This is a later step than NASA's 2021 funded Space Act Agreements for commercial-station designs. Actualidad Aeroespacial reported that the agreements with Blue Origin, Nanoracks, and Northrop Grumman had an estimated total of $415.6 million. The 2026 CLDC solicitation uses a different contract structure and sets out a later competition for design, certification, and services.
Funding, bidders and transportation
Ars Technica reports that each phase-one winner is guaranteed at least $100 million. The outlet also described Axiom Space, Voyager Space through Starlab, and Vast Space as expected bidders, while reporting uncertainty about Blue Origin's participation. These are reported expectations, not NASA's award decisions.
Ars Technica also reports that bidders do not need to provide a signed contract or letter of intent with Boeing or another transportation provider. The outlet says NASA offers to furnish transportation for the first four NASA service missions. That provision sits alongside the solicitation's broader requirement for destinations capable of providing end-to-end destination and transportation services; the reporting does not establish that NASA will broker provider agreements. Ars Technica reported the funding, bidder expectations, and transportation provisions.
Proposal deadline and expected awards
NASA set December 8, 2026, as the proposal deadline and expects to make contract awards in spring 2027. The October 9 announcement began that procurement schedule; it did not name award recipients.
