NASA has adjusted the timing and requirements for its procurement notice seeking a vehicle to deorbit the International Space Station (ISS). The agency extended the deadline for proposals to February 12, 2024, and updated the desired delivery and launch dates to August 1, 2028, and December 1, 2028, respectively. The required delivery date is now May 1, 2029, with a launch on September 1, 2029. NASA also added the option for both development and production of the vehicle under a cost-plus contract. The new dates align with the expected end of the ISS's life, and the contract award is expected in late May or early June 2024.
NASA has revised its contract strategy for the production of the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle (USDV) for the International Space Station (ISS). The agency will now allow companies to choose between firm fixed price or cost plus incentive fee contract structures for both the design and production of the vehicle. The deadline for submitting proposals has been extended to February 12, 2022, with an award expected in late May or early June. The USDV will be used for the controlled reentry of the ISS at the end of its life, and NASA has requested $180 million for the vehicle in its fiscal year 2024 budget proposal.
NASA is seeking design proposals for a $1 billion space-tug, officially referred to as the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, to safely take the aging International Space Station (ISS) out of orbit. The spacecraft will be focused on the final deorbit activity and must function on its first flight with redundancy and anomaly recovery capability. Industry members have until November 17 to submit their proposals. NASA plans to use commercial space stations for its low orbit efforts post-ISS.
NASA has proposed a hybrid contract approach for procuring a spacecraft called the United States Deorbit Vehicle (USDV) that would dock to the International Space Station (ISS) and perform a controlled reentry of it. The agency is seeking feedback on the draft through the end of the month before releasing a final RFP this summer. NASA is proposing to start with a cost-plus contract for the design of the deorbit vehicle through critical design review, followed by a fixed-price contract for production of the vehicle and other activities. The agency requested $180 million in its fiscal year 2024 budget proposal in March to start work on the deorbit vehicle.
