Sources Sought
NASA Deep Space Autonomous Robotics Challenge: Call for Host Facility Interest
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
AI summaryThis is a sources sought notice (a market research request, not a contract offer) from NASA's Johnson Space Center, for a NASA robotics challenge. NASA wants to hear from organizations with an indoor U.S. test space of at least 50 feet by 50 feet. No money is offered: it would be a non-reimbursable partnership. The response due date is January 31, 2027, 5:00 PM Eastern. More in the summary
Market research, not a bid. Replying is free and tells National Aeronautics and Space Administration who could do this work. Send a short reply to the contracting contact; no price is needed. See the contact
AI summary Beta
This is a sources sought notice (a market research request, not a contract offer) from NASA's Johnson Space Center, for a NASA robotics challenge. NASA wants to hear from organizations with an indoor U.S. test space of at least 50 feet by 50 feet. No money is offered: it would be a non-reimbursable partnership. The response due date is January 31, 2027, 5:00 PM Eastern.
Who can bid (4)
- Indoor, climate-controlled facility in the United States with a continuous surface of at least 50 feet by 50 feet
- Flat or substantially flat floor suitable for mobile robots and multi-agent ground operations
- Standard electrical utilities and reliable Wi-Fi
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- Established facility access controls and security protocols
How to submit: Capability Package submitted via SAM.gov; questions by email only to the listed primary point of contact. What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (4)
From the version posted Oct 19, 2026.
- Serious: No payment for the host facility. NASA is not paying to lease or buy space, so the host covers its own costs and gets visibility and networking instead.
- Worth checking: Market research only, no award promised. The notice does not commit NASA to issue a solicitation or sign an agreement, and respondents pay their own response costs.
- Worth checking: Long hold on the space in 2028. The host would need to keep the space available for three to six consecutive months.
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- Minor: Three-page limit on the Capability Package. Photos, a layout schematic, security details and availability windows all have to fit in three pages.
Read from the notice and 1 attachment. Show which files.
- DSpARCSummary.pdf (read)
Full summary
What they want
- A host facility in the United States for physical robotics testing by challenge teams
- Indoor, climate-controlled space with a continuous footprint of at least 50 feet by 50 feet
- A flat or substantially flat surface suitable for mobile robots and multi-agent ground operations
- Standard electrical power and reliable Wi-Fi
- Facility access controls and security protocols to protect visiting hardware, software and people
- Availability for a consecutive three to six month period in late spring and early summer 2028
- A Capability Package (a short capabilities write-up) sent through SAM.gov as one PDF of no more than three pages
- Contract type
- Non-reimbursable partnership (such as a Space Act Agreement); this notice is a Request for Information for market research
- Period of performance
- Physical evaluations over a consecutive three to six month period in late spring and early summer 2028; sites should state availability windows between February and August 2028
- Place of performance
- SAM.gov lists Washington, DC, USA; the attachment asks for an indoor facility anywhere in the United States
- Estimated value
- Not stated
- Offers due
- January 31, 2027, 5:00 PM Eastern
- How to submit
- Capability Package submitted via SAM.gov; questions by email only to the listed primary point of contact
- Page limits
- Capability Package: one PDF, no more than 3 pages
What to include when you submit
- Send one PDF of no more than three pages
- Include a brief facility overview
- Include high-resolution site photographs showing the proposed 50 feet by 50 feet footprint
- Include a layout schematic
- Include details on facility security protocols
- Include target site availability windows between February and August 2028
- Questions go by email only, with the subject line 'NASA Deep Space Autonomous Robotics Challenge Question/Clarification'
Not in the notice text
- How the Government would choose among host facilities is not stated
- The terms of the partnership agreement (costs, liability, insurance, access) are not given
- The notice does not name a set-aside, and SAM.gov does not state one
- The exact evaluation dates within the three to six month period are not given
Eligibility and how to respond
- No set-aside. Any business can reply: this is market research, and no bid is being taken yet.
- To respond, send a short reply to the contracting contact near the top of this page. No price is needed.
Notice details
- Posted
- Oct 19, 2026
- Notice type
- Sources Sought
- Office
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX
- Product/service code
- R499 · Support – Professional: Other
- Business type
- Consulting & professional services (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 541990)
- Attachments
Past awards and competition
Who has won work like this before, the likely incumbent, and what similar contracts paid, from USAspending.gov.
Before you respond
Terms on this notice: Sources sought notice