WASHINGTON - NASA has released a request for proposals (RFP) for the next round of contracts for private-sector companies to deliver experiments and supplies to the orbiting laboratory.
Under the Commercial Resupply Services 2 RFP, NASA intends to award contracts with one or more companies for six or more flights per contract. As with current resupply flights, these missions would launch from U.S. spaceports, and the contracted services would include logistical and research cargo delivery and return to and from the space station through fiscal year 2020, with the option to purchase additional launches through 2024.
Earlier this year, the Obama Administration decided to extend the life of the International Space Station until at least 2024.
This RFP is open to companies able to demonstrate safe, reliable launch and rendezvous capabilities with the station. The contract will fulfill NASA's need to procure cargo delivery services for pressurized and unpressurized cargo delivery, disposal, return, or any combination, to the space station using U.S. commercial carriers after the initial Commercial Resupply Service contracts conclude.
The goal of the RFP is to foster a full and open competition that provides the most complete set of services, providing the best value to American taxpayers. Proposals are due Nov. 14. The awarded contracts will be firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity. NASA anticipates making a selection in May 2015.
Since this request is open to all bidders, current CRS incumbents - Space Exploration Technologies and Orbital Sciences Corp. - are not guaranteed to be awarded contracts. New competitors could include Boeing, which is designing its CST-100 capsule to carry astronauts to space, and Sierra Nevada, which recently lost a bid to build the Dream Chaser to carry astronauts to the space station.
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